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Vo 

HOW  TO  BECOME  A 


PUBLIC 

SPEAKER 


SHOWING  THE  BEST  MANB^^l  OE,  ARRANGING, 
THOUGHT  SO  AS  TO  GAIW“  ficMCfSEME;*^. 
EASE.  AND  FLUENCY  IK  SPEKpH 

* D ; 

BY 

WILLIAM  PITTENGER 


PHILADELPHIA 

THE  PENN  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

1903 


c Entered  ^^61^113 g to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1886,  by 

' kitlONXL  SCHOOL  OF  ELOCUTION  AND  ORATORY. 

c ' 

in  the  office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


20S.S 

?U8X 

CONTENTS. 

. . . 1 

I.  Can  the  Art  ot  Speech  be  Learned . . 

. . . li 

II.  The  Four  Methods  of  Public  Speech,  > 

...  24 

III.  An  Embryo  Speech,  with  Models,  . • » 

...  40 

IV.  Initial  Fear  and  How  to  Overcome  it, 

V.  Utility  of  Debating  Societies, 

...  45 

...  51 

VI.  Thought  and  Emotion, 

...  65 

VII.  Language, 

...  73 

VIII.  Imagination,  

. . •.  78 

IX.  Voice  and  Gesture, 

...  89 

X.  Confidence, 

...  99 

XI.  The  Pen  and  the  Tongue, 

. . . . 102 

XII.  Subject  and  Object, 

. ...  113 

XIII.  Thought-Gathering, 

...  120 

XIV.  Constructing  a Plan, * * 

. ...  124 

XV.  How  shall  the  Written  Plan  be  Used?  . . • 

. ...  134 

XVI.  The  First  Moment  of  Speech, 

. ...  143 

XVII.  The  Introduction, 

. . . . 154 

^VIII.  Progress  of  the  Speech, 

XIX.  After  the  Speech, 

. ...  164 

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CHAPTER  I. 

Can  the:  Aht  of  Speech  be  Learned? 

There  is  a widespread  opinion  that  all  study  of  the 
mode  of  oratory  is  unmanly,  and  leads  to  the  substitu- 
tion of  artifice  and  adornment  for  simplicity  and  power. 
“^Let  a man  have  something  important  to  say/"'  it  is 
argued,  and  he  need  not  waste  his  time  in  trying  to 
find  how  to  say  it.^’  So  general  is  this  sentiment,  that  a 
ministerial  acquaintance  of  the  writer’s  was  recently  very 
careful  to  conceal  from  his  congregation  the  fact  that  he 
was  taking  a series  of  lessons  in  elocution,  lest  his  in- 
fluence should  be  diminished. 

We  may  admit  that  the  popular  prejudice  against  the 
study  of  eloquence  is  not  without  a mixture  of  reason. 
It  is  possible  to  foster  a spurious  kind  of  oratory,  which 
shall  be  far  inferior  to  the  rudest  genuine  speech.  Eut 
on  the  other  hand,  it  is  safe  to  maintain  that  every 
rational  power  man  possesses  can  be  strengthened  by 
judicious  cultivation,  without  in  the  least  impairing  its 
[iiality.  There  is  no  trick  in  true  oratory — no  secret 
magic  by  which  a weak-minded  man  can  become  the 
leader  of  others  stronger  and  wiser  than  himself.  The 
g^eat  prizes  of  eloquence  cannot  be  placed  in  the  hands 
of  the  ignorant  or  slothfUl.  But  so  surely  as  a raw  ap- 

5 


6 CAN  THE  AKT  OP  SPEECH  BE  LEARNED? 

prentice  can  be  transformed  into  a skillful  workman,  any 
person  possessed  of  ordinary  faculties,  who  will  pay  the 
price  in  labor,  can  be  made  master  of  the  art  of  ready 
and  forcible  public  utterance. 

The  methods  of  oratorical  cultivation  presented  in  this 
volume  are  not  based  upon  mere  theory.  They  have 
been  tested  in  hundreds  of  instances,  and  their  results  arc 
beyond  question.  A carpenter  will  assert  with  perfect 
assurance,  “ I guarantee  to  take  an  ordinary  young  man, 
who  will  place  himself  in  my  hands  for  a reasonable 
time  and  turn  him  out  a thorough  mechanic,  master  of 
every  part  of  his  trade.”  The  effects  of  training  are  as 
marvelous  and  as  certain  in  the  fields  of  eloquence.  ^ 
But  this  training  must  necessarily  combine  practice 
with  theory.  To  study  about  great  orators  and  observe 
their  works  is  not  sufficient.  Here  again,  we  may  take 
a lesson  from  the  mode  in  which  an  apprentice  is  trained. 
The  master  architect  does  not  take  his  young  men  to 
gaze  upon  finished  buildings,  and  expect  them,  from 
mere  admiration  and  architectural  fervor,  to  constmct 
similar  works.  He  would  soon  find  that  not  one  in  a 
hundred  had  the  “ mechanical  genius”  for  such  an  easy 
triumph.  But  he  takes  them  into  the  shop,  where  work 
is  in  progress,  places  before  them  some  simple 
from  that  leads  them  on,  step  by  step,  to  more  1 1 cu 
achievements.  They  learn  how  to  make  the  separ.^ 
parts  of  a house,  and  aflenvard  how  to  fit  those  pa 


CAN  THE  AET  OF  SPEECH  BE  LEARNED?  7 

into  a complete  work.  Under  this  rational  mode  of  in- 
struction the  great  majority  master  the  whole  business 
placed  before  them,  and  the  failures  are  rare  exceptions. 
If  similar  success  does  not  attend  oratorical  students,  tlie 
explanation  must  be  sought,  not  in  the  nature  of  oratory, 
but  in  wrong  methods  of  training.  Merely  reading 
Cicero  and  Demosthenes,  even  in  their  original  tongues, 
declaiming  choice  selections,  or  listening  to  great  orators, 
will  not  make  any  one  eloquent,  unless  indeed  he  pos- 
sesses that  rare  natural  genius  which  rises  above  all 
rules  and  sweeps  away  every  obstacle. 

But  it  must  be  remembered  that  there  are  many  de- 
grees of  eloquence.  The  popular  conception  is  somewhat 
unjust  in  refusing  recognition  to  those  who  possess  this 
power  in  only  a fair  degree.  It  is  not  possible  by  any 
mode  of  training  to  produce  many  orators  of  the  very 
highest  type.  Such  will  ever  be  rare  for  the  same  reason 
that  there  are  but  few  great  poets,  generals,  or  statesmen. 
But  proper  education  in  the  art  of  speech  should  enable 
a man  to  give  full,  free,  and  adequate  expression  to  what- 
ever thoughts  and  feelings  he  may  possess.  It  may  go 
further,  and  make  him  more  fruitful  in  thought,  and 
more  intense  in  feeling,  than  he  could  have  been  in  the 
absence  of  such  education,  and  he  may  thus  become  fairly 
entitled  to  the  rewards  of  eloquence  without,  however, 
reaching  the  level  of  the  few  great  world-orators.  The 
distinction  between  a good  degree  of  practical,  working 


8 CAN  THE  ART  OF  SPEECH  BE  LEARNED? 

eloquence,  which  may  be  successfully  taught  to  the  mass 
of  students,  and  the  very  highest  development  of  the 
same  faculty,  should  always  be  kept  in  mind.  Even  the 
mightiest  genius  may  be  regulated,  strengthened,  and 
directed  by  culture;  while  moderate  talents  may,  by 
similar  culture,  reach  a very  serviceable  degree  of  effi- 
ciency and  power. 

While  these  considerations  appear  almost  self-evident, 
they  are  not  unnecessary.  On  listening  to  a true  orator 
— one  who,  without  hesitation,  pours  forth  a stream  of 
well-chosen  words,  and  develops  a difficult  subject  in  a 
clear  and  masterly  manner— we  are  apt  to  receive  an 
impression  like  that  made  by  the  operation  of  a law  of 
nature,  or  an  unerring  animal  instinct.  Does  the  orator 
acquire  eloquence  as  the  bee  learns  to  construct  honey- 
cells  ? There  is,  no  doubt,  a foundation  for  eloquence  in 
natural  ability,  but  the  analogy  is  far  more  close  with 
the  human  builder,  who  sees  mentally  the  image  of  the 
house  he  wishes  to  construct,  fits  the  various  timbers  and 
other  materials  into  their  places,  and  works  intelligently 
until  his  conception  is  realized.  To  Jack  Cade  and  his 
fellows  the  mysteries  of  reading  and  writing  came  by 
nature but  experience  has  shown  that  this  much  of 
nature  can  be  developed  in  the  great  majority  of  Ameiican 
children.  In  the  moderate  and  reasonable  meaning  ot 
the  term,  eloquence  can  be  made  almost  as  general  as  the 
elements  of  a common-school  education.  The  child  that 


CAN  THE  xVET  OF  SPEECH  BE  LEARNED?  li 

masters  the  art  of  readings  really  makes  a greater  con- 
quest over  difficulties,  than  the  average  well-educated 
youth  needs  to  add  to  the  stores  he  already  possesses,  in 
order  to  attain  a good  degree  of  oratorical  power.  There 
are,  indeed,  a few  indispensable  requisites  which  will  be 
understood  by  every  person ; but  the  want  of  these 
debars  a small  minority  only,  and  their  absence  is  easily 
recognized.  For  all  others  the  path  of  success  lies  open. 
Patient  practice  in  the  use  of  the  pen  as  a servant  but 
not  as  a master,  the  study  of  good  models,  and  the 
laborious  mastery  in  detail  of  the  separate  elements  of 
oratory,  will  not  fail  of  abundant  fruit. 

There  are  two  classes  of  works  with  which  this  treatise 
should  not  be  confounded.  It  aims  to  occupy  an  almost 
vacant  place  between  manuals  of  elocution  oti  the  one 
hand,  and  works  of  technical  instruction  in  the  various 
oratorical  professions,  on  the  other.  Both  of  these  classes 
of  books  are  very  useful,  and  teach  indirectly  many  of 
the  elements  of  true  eloquence.  Elocution  deals  with 
voice  and  gesture,  which  are  prime  elements  in  oratory  ; 
and  although  it  is  popularly  supposed  to  be  applicable 
only  to  reading  and  recitation,  it  is  equally  serviceable  in 
off-hand  speech.  Works  of  the  second  class  give  rules 
for  preaching,  debating,  pleading  at  the  bar,  teaching, 
and  all  other  professions  which  involve  public  speech. 
They  show  how  various  kinds  of  discourses  may  be  con- 
structed, but  have  few  practical  directions  about  the 


10  CAN  THE  ART  OF  SPEECH  BE  LEARNED? 

mode  of  delivery,  or  that  grand  and  noble  work— the 
development  of  the  oratorical  power  itself. 

This  book  is  written  from  the  standpoint  of  the  student 
who  wishes  to  wield  the  golden  sceptre  of  eloquence  and 
is  willing  to  put  forth  all  reasonable  efforts  to  that  end. 
It  will  aim  to  guide  him  into  the  right  path ; show  him 
what  helps  are  available,  and  what  discipline  is  necessary ; 
encourage  him  in  overcoming  difficulties,  and  stimulate 
him  to  seek  the  very  highest  excellence  within  the  com 
pass  of  his  faculties. 


CHAPTER  n. 


The  Four  Methods  of  Public  Speech— Their 
Advantages  and  Disadvantages. 

What  shall  I do  exclaims  the  young  student  who 
expects  soon  to  face  public  audiences.  Shall  I write 
out  what  I have  to  say,  polish  it  as  highly  as  possible, 
and  then  utter  this  finished  product  ? Or  must  I take 
the  risk  of  being  able  to  say  nothing  at  all,  in  hope  of 
gaining  the  ease  and  naturalness  of  spontaneous  speech 
It  must  be  admitted  that  the  first  course  indicated 
above  has  many  advantages,  and  seems  in  harmony  with 
the  marked  tendency  of  civilization  toward  division  of 
labor.  It  is  hard  to  perform  several  different  operations 
at  the  same  moment.  Look  how  heavily  the  extempore 
speaker  is  burdened.  He  must  think  of  his  subject; 
arrange  his  ideas,  sentences,  and  words ; remember  quo- 
tations ; originate  proper  tones  and  gestures ; and  keep 
his  attention  closely  fixed  upon  his  audience.  All  this 
he  must  do  with  the  utmost  promptness  and  regularity, 
or  incur  a fearful  penalty — that  of  embarrassment  and 
failure.  Few  men  have  the  courage  to  stand  long  before 
an  audience,  waiting  for  a missing  word  or  idea.  To 
avoid  this  danger  the  mind  of  an  extempore  speaker 
must  be  accustomed  to  work  with  the  rapidity  and  pre- 

11 


12 


FOUR  METHODS  OF  SPEECH, 


cision  of  a printing-press ; otherwise,  the  appalling 
danger  of  failure  and  ridicule  will  constantly  stare  him 
in  the  face.  It  is  not  wonderful  that  such  perils  have 
made  many  speakers  perpetual  slaves  of  the  pen. 

But  it  may  be  noted  that  the  public  reader  has  an 
equal  number  of  things  to  do  at  the  same  moment.  He 
must  look  on  the  manuscript  and  recognize  the  words — a 
complicated  process,  which  practice  has  made  easy,  but 
which  does  greatly  distract  attention.  The  whole  dis- 
course must  be  brought  into  mind  as  really  as  if  extem- 
porized with  the  difference  that  now,  instead  of  arising 
from  within,  it  is  brought  back  from  without  a much 
more  difficult  achievement.  Tones  and  gestures  are  also 
increasingly  difficult.  The  reader  will  usually  wish  to  give 
some  attention  to  the  audience,  which,  with  manuscript 
before  him,  will  be  far  from  easy.  After  he  has  done 
his  best  his  hearers  will  think^  This  man  is  reading, 
not  speaking — giving  us  what  he  thought  yesterday  or 
last  week,  not  what  he  is  thinking  now.’^  Possibly 
this  will  not  diminish  their  pleasure,  but  the  sentiment 
needs  to  be  recognized. 

The  resource  of  memorizing  the  discourse  after  it  has 
been  prepared  relieves  the  eye  and  lessens  the  pliysicaJ 
distraction,  but  it  throws  an  additional  and  very  heavy 
burden  upon  the  mind,  and  introduces  new  embarrass- 
ments peculiar  to  itself. 

The  advice  enforced  in  these  pages  will  be : ''  Extern- 


FOUE  METHODS  OF  SPEECH.  Vi 

porize;  take  the  risk ; fail,  if  necessary  though  precau- 
tions will  be  given  making  failure  well  nigh  impossible ; 

but  in  all  cases  when  you  speak  to  the  people  with  the 
object  of  convincing  or  persuading,  let  it  be  seen  that 
you  speak  directly  the  thoughts  and  feelings  of  that 
very  moment.’^ 

The  two  extremes  of  verbal  communication  between 
men  are  letters,  books,  or  essays,  on  the  one  side,  and 
desultory  talk  on  the  other.  In  the  one,  the  pen  is 
everything;  in  the  other,  it  is  not  employed  at  all. 
Neither  mode  of  address  constitutes  oratory,  but  the 
whole  field  of  this  art  lies  between  them. 

There  are  four  principal  methods  of  discourse  dis- 
tinguished in  reference  to  the  mode  of  delivery,  which 
we  may  name  as  follows : 

1.  Reading. 

2.  Recitation. 

3.  Extemporizing. 

4.  The  composite  method. 

Of  these,  the  first  two  have  the  great  advantage  of 
allowing  the  speaker  as  much  time  as  may  be  necessary 
for  the  arrangement  of  the  speech  down  to  the  minutest 
detail.  Words  may  be  selected  with  the  nicest  care,  and 
if  the  first  effort  is  not  satisfactory  the  speech  may  be 
written  again  and  again,  until  the  writer^s  full  power  has 
been  utilized.  After  delivery,  the  manuscript  is  at  once 
available  for  publication  or  preservation.  The  first 


1 4 FOUR  METHODS  OF  SPEECH. 

method  gives  the  orator  something  to  lean  upon.  Should 
he  become  embarrassed,  he  can  fix  his  attention  closely 
upon  his  writing  until  he  recovers.  Should  his  attention 
be  distracted,  and  the  thread  of  discourse  be  broken,  it 
can  be  taken  up  again  at  any  point. 

In  recitation  more  declamatory  fervor  is  possible  than 
in  reading.  Gesticulation  is  less  restrained.  The  speaker 
need  not  be  confined  within  the  narrow  limits  of  a circle, 
the  centre  of  which  is  his  manuscript,  and  the  radius  the 
distance  at  which  he  can  read  it. 

As  an  offset,  there  is  the  effort,  in  some  cases  very  con- 
siderable, of  memorizing ; the  variable  power  of  memory 
in  different  states  of  health  ; and  the  possibility  of  alto- 
gether forgetting  the  prepared  words.  It  must  also  be 
admitted  that  few  men  can  declaim  well.  Some  have 
mastered  the  difficult  art,  and  have  won  laurels  in  this 
way ; but  their  number,  especially  in  the  modern  world, 
is  comparatively  small. 

Extemporizing  does  not  exclude  the  most  exhaustive 
study  of  a subject.  It  is  easier,  indeed,  to  write  upon  a 
subject  only  partially  understood,  than  to  address  an 
audience  directly  upon  the  same  topic.  Neither  does 
this  method  exclude  the  most  careful  pre-arrangement  of 
the  thoughts  enunciated.  The  trained  speaker  will  find 
it  comparatively  easy  to  make  a plan  at  a moment  s 
notice  which  will  serve  as  a basis  for  discourse ; but  he 
will  usually  be  provided  with  a plan  long  before  he 


FOUR  METHODS  OF  SPEECH.  lb 

begins  to  speak.  He  will  aim  to  understand  his  subject, 
make  the  best  arrangement  of  it  in  his  power,  select  what 
is  most  fitting  for  his  purpose,  and  then,  face  to  face 
with  his  audience,  will  give  them,  in  a manly  way,  the 
outflowing  of  his  mind  and  heart.  It  is  in  this  sense 
alone  that  the  word  “ extempore  ” will  be  used  in  this 
volume.  We  maintain  that,  so  far  from  being  the  refuge 
of  ignorance  and  sloth,  extempore  speech  is  often  the 
vehicle  of  the  widest  culture  and  the  most  extensive 
knowledge. 

The  increased  attention  paid  to  extempore  speech 
within  a few  years  indicates  a hopeful  improvement  of 
taste  among  professional  men.  The  majority  of  the 
people  have  always  preferred  it.  They  do  not  greatly 
desire  of  pulpit,  platform,  or  bar,  the  verbal  elaboration 
favored  by  written  speech ; but  fervent  manner,  earnest 
conviction,  and  directness  are  highly  prized.  Readers 
and  reciters  imitate,  as  far  as  they  can,  the  manner  of 
spontaneous  speech.  It  is  well  to  remember  that  this 
tribute  of  imitation  is  never  paid  by  the  superior  to  the 
inferior. 

One  argument  in  favor  of  extempore  delivery  has 
never  received  due  consideration  : it  is  far  more  healthful 
than  other  forms  of  address.  In  the  case  of  men  who 
speak  only  at  long  intervals,  this  consideration  may  not 
l)e  weighty ; but  to  others,  it  involves  years  of  added 
usefulness,  or  even  life  itself. 


16  FOUR  METHODS  OF  SPEECH. 

This  superior  healthfulness  has  often  been  observed, 
but  what  is  its  source  ? The  answer  will  go  far  to  show 
why  true  extempore  speech  is  more  persuasive  and  emo- 
tional than  any  other  variety.  In  chemistry,  a law 
of  affinity  has  long  been  recognized,  according  to  which 
substances  just  set  free  from  combination  have  greater 
energy,  and  are  more  ready  to  form  new  combmations, 
than  ever  afterward.  In  the  same  way,  voice  and  gesture 
readily  respond  to  nascent  emotion ; that  is,  to  emotion 
aroused  for  the  first  time.  Every  speaker  who  utters 
the  thought  of  the  moment,  if  not  fettered  by  bad  habits, 
or  paralyzed  by  fear,  will  exhibit  a perpetual  change  of 
position,  a variety  of  muscular  movement,  and  a play  of 
expression  which  he  can  never  afterward  reproduce. 
The  pitch,  rate,  and  force  of  the  voice  are  controlM  in 
the  same  eftective  and  almost  automatic  manner.  An 
ordinary  extemporizer,  when  thoroughly  aroused,  will 
employ  as  great  a variety  of  tones  and  gestures  as  a 
highly  trained  elocutionist  in  his  most  elaborate  recita- 
tions. Nothing  is  asserted  as  to  the  skill  of  the  combi- 
nations, the  melody  of  the  voice,  or  the  grace  of  the  action ; 
though  even  in  these  the  advantage  is  not  always  on  the 
side  of  the  elocutionist.  But  in  distributing  the  effort 
among  all  the  organs,  and  in  giving  that  alternate  rest 
and  action  upon  which  health  and  strength  depend,  the 
elocutionist  may  strive  in  vain  to  equal  the  model  set  him 
by  a good  extempore  speech.  In  Western  and  seaside 


FOUR  METHODS  OF  SPEECH. 


Vi 


^mp-meetings^  speakers  who  have  never  spent  an  hour 
in  vocal  drill  will  often  address  thousands  of  people  in  the 
vipen  air  with  an  energy  of  voice  and  manner  that  would^ 
if  employed  over  a manuscript  by  any  other  than  the  most 
accomplished  elocutionist,  speedily  bring  all  efforts  and 
the  speaker  himself  to  an  end.  But  he  easily  endures 
the  strain  because  there  is  that  continual  change  which 
is  the  equivalent  of  rest.  Notice  some  thoroughly  ex- 
cited speaker,  trained  only  in  the  school  of  experience — * 
possibly  a mere  demagogue  or  popular  agitator — at  his 
work.  A word  shot  forth  almost  as  piercing  as  a steam 
whistle  is  followed  by  a sentence  far  down  the  scale,  and 
when  emotion  demands  the  same  high  key  again,  the 
organs  in  that  position  are  fresh  for  a new  ear-piercing 
effort.  There  is  equal  variation  in  the  rate  of  speech. 
The  whole  body  joins  in  the  expression  of  emotion,  with- 
out the  slightest  conscious  effort,  impelled  only  by  the 
aroused  nervous  energy  which  seeks  that  mode  of  dis- 
charge. When  the  effort  ends,  the  man  is  weary,  indeed ; 
but  with  a weariness  distributed  over  the  whole  body,  and 
without  a trace  of  that  exhaustion  of  brain,  throat,  or  the 
upper  part  of  the  lungs,  which  has  sent  many  manuscript 
speakers — clergymen,  especially — to  untimely  graves. 

What  a difference  there  is  between  the  preacher  who 
languidly  reads  his  manuscript  for  twenty-five  minutes 
to  a hundred  people,  and  closes  the  mighty  effort  with 
aching  head,  quivering  nerves,  and  exhausted  throat,  and 


18 


FOUR  METHODS  OF  SPEECH. 


the  typical  camp-meeting  orator ! The  latter  works  hard, 
addressing  thousands  of  people  for  an  hour  and  a half 
or  two  hours ; but  as  the  stamping  foot,  the  tense  arm, 
the  nodding  head,  the  fully  expanded  lungs,  and  the 
swaying  body  have  all  taken  part,  the  blood  and  nervous 
energy  have  been  sent  in  due  proportion  to  every  organ, 
and  there  is  no  want  of  balance.  The  man  can  repeat 
the  same  performances  the  next  day,  and  continue  it,  as 
many  itinerants  have  done,  for  months  together.  Similar 
examples  of  endurance  have  often  been  given  in  heated 
political  canvasses  by  orators  of  the  very  highest  emi- 
nence, as  well  as  by  others  unknown  to  fame.  Difference 
of  cultivation  or  of  earnestness  will  not  suffice  to  ex- 
plain the  contrast  between  the  two  classes  of  speakers. 

The  chemical  analogy  is  instructive,  and  goes  far  to 
account  for  the  observed  differences.  When  thought 
passes  out  of  the  mist  and  shadow  of  general  concep- 
tions into  the  definite  form  of  words,  it  has  immeasurably 
greater  power  to  arouse  and  agitate  the  mind  in  which 
this  transformation  is  made,  than  it  can  have  when  the 
same  words  are  merely  recalled  in  memory  or  read  from 
a sheet  of  paper.  When  the  whole  process  of  expression 
takes  place  at  once:— the  mental  glance  over  the  subject ; 
the  coinage  of  thoughts  into  words  and  sentences;  the 
utterance  of  the  words  as  they  rise  to  the  lips ; the  selec- 
tion of  key,  inflection,  emphasis,  gesture:— the  man  must 
have  a very  cold  nature,  or  his  theme  be  very  dull,  if, 


FOUR  METHODS  OF  SPEECH. 


19 


with  a sympathizing  audience  before  him,  the  tides  of 
emotion  do  not  begin  to  swell.  But  notice  how  other 
modes  of  delivery  squander  this  wealth  of  emotion.  The 
writer  carefully  elaborates  his  language.  He  is  perfectly 
calm,  or  if  there  is  any  excitement,  it  is  purely  intel- 
lectual, and  the  quickened  flow  of  blood  is  directed  only 
to  the  brain.  When  the  ardor  of  composition  subsides, 
and  he  reviews  his  pages,  the  fire  seems  to  have  died  out 
of  them.  While  memorizing,  or  making  himself  familial 
enough  with  what  he  has  written  to  read  it  with  effect, 
he  may  recall  some  of  the  first  ardor,  but  only  to  have 
it  again  subside.  When  at  last  he  stands  up  to  speak, 
his  production  is  a thrice-told  tale.  In  but  few  cases 
will  he  feel  the  full  inspiration  of  his  message.  If  he 
recites,  the  effort  of  memory  distracts  his  attention,  and 
he  is  probably  reading  from  a page  of  manuscript  pre- 
sented by  his  mental  vision.  If  he  reads  directly,  he 
must  take  a position  to  see  his  paper,  and  at  least  part  of 
the  time  keep  his  eye  fixed  upon  it.  The  address  is 
felt  to  come,  notwithstanding  all  the  artifice  he  can 
employ,  at  least  as  much  from  the  paper  as  from  the 
man.  The  most  profound  culture  in  reading  and  decla- 
mation only  suffices  to  bring  back  part  of  the  emotion 
with  which  the  genuine  extemporizer  starts. 

As  bearing  upon  the  subject  of  the  healthfulness  of 
extempore  speech,  a reference  to  the  writer’s  own  ex- 
perience may  not  be  improper.  Severe  and  exceptional 


20  FOUR  METHODS  OF  SPEECH. 

hardship  in  the  civil  war  led  to  a complete  break-down 
in  health.  The  hope  of  any  kind  of  active  work,  or 
tiven  of  many  months  of  life,  seemed  very  slight.  The 
qnestion  was  not  so  much  how  to  speak  best,  as  how  to 
speak  at  all.  Fortunately,  a long  series  of  daily  lectures, 
involving  no  great  intellectual  effort,  proved  that  m.ere 
talking  was  not  necessarily  hurtful.  Some  elocutionary 
hints  at  the  right  time  were  also  of  great  value.  When 
the  pulpit  was  entered,  greater  difficulty  arose.  A few 
trials  of  memorized  preaching  produced  alarming  nervous 
exhaustion.  Reading  was  equally  deleterious  to  throat 
and  voice.  One  path  alone  seemed  open  j and  entering 
upon  that  with  confidence,  which  eighteen  years  of  ex- 
perience has  only  deepened,  the  writer  found  that  ex- 
tempore speech  was,  for  him,  probably  the  most  healthful 
of  all  forms  of  exercise.  It  is  not  likely  that  one-third 
of  this  term  of  work  would  have  been  secured  by  any 
other  kind  of  address. 

Another  important  advantage  is  the  saving  of  time 
afforded  by  this  mode  of  speech.  The  hours  otherwise 
wasted  in  word-elaboration  may  be  more  usefully  em- 
ployed in  general  studies.  The  field  for  an  orator’s  im- 
provement is  boundless ; but  if  obliged  to  fully  write  a 
large  number  of  discourses,  he  must  either  work  very 
rapidly  or  very  perseveringly  to  enter  far  into  that  field. 
But  if  less  preparation  is  given  to  individual  speeches, 
more  time  will  be  available  for  the  improvement  of  the 


FOUR  METHODS  OF  SPEECH. 


21 


speaker.  Or  if  he  uses  the  same  length  of  preparation 
for  each  discourse  in  the  extempore  mode^  he  can  collect 
and  classify  a far  greater  amount  of  material,  and  the 
mental  elem^t  will  thus  gain  far  more  than  the  merely 
Verbal  loses. 

Only  the  fourth  or  composite  method  of  discourse 
remains  for  pur  consideration.  At  first  glance,  it  seems 
to  combine  the  advantages  of  all  other  methods,  and  for 
many  minds  it  possesses  great  attraction.  In  it  the  less 
important  parts  of  the  speech  are  given  off-hand,  while 
passages  of  especial  brilliancy  or  poAver  are  written  fully, 
and  either  read  or  recited.  Added  variety  may  be  given 
by  reading  some  of  these,  and  declaiming  others  from 
memory.  A very  brilliant  and  showy  discourse  may 
thus  be  constructed.  But  the  difficulties  are  also  very 
great.  Full  success  requires  a rare  combination  of  de- 
sirable qualities.  A good  verbal  memory,  the  power  of 
composing  efiective  fragments,  and  of  declaiming  or 
reading  them  well,  are  not  often  joined  to  all  the  qualities 
that  make  a ready  and  impressive  extemporizer.  For 
this  reason  it  usually  follows  that  in  composite  discourses 
one  of  the  elements  so  greatly  predominates  as  to  dwarf 
the  others.  A manuscript  discourse  in  which  an  extern*^ 
pore  remark  or  two  is  interpolated  must  be  classed  with 
AA^ritten  discourses.  Neither  does  extemporizing  lose  its 
special  character,  though  some  scattered  quotations  be 
read  or  repeated  from  memory.  To  pick  up  a book,  in 


22 


FOUR  METHODS  OF  SPEECH. 


the  midst  of  a speech,  and  read  a theme  or  argument,  o\ 
the  statement  of  another’s  position,  does  not  make  the 
discourse  composite  in  character,  unless  such  reading  be 
the  principal  part  of  it.  An  eloquent  speaker  on  one 
occasion  occupied  more  than  half  his  time,  and  produced 
far  more  than  half  his  effect,  by  reciting  poems  of  the 
author  who  was  the  nominal  subject  of  his  lecture.  The 
performance  would  have  been  more  appropriately  styled, 

Recitations  from  the  poems  of The  few 

running  comments  introduced  did  not  entitle  it  to  be 
classed  as  an  original  production,  because  they  were 
obviously  not  its  governing  motive. 

How  shall  the  advantages  of  extemporizing  be  secured, 
while  avoiding  its  dangers  ? No  commendation  can  be 
given  to  those  who  simply  talk  to  an  audience,  giving 
forth  only  what  may  happen  to  be  in  mind  at  the  moment 
of  delivery.  The  most  pedantic  writing  and  lifeless 
reading  would,  as  a habit,  be  preferable  to  such  reckless- 
ness. Unwritten  speech  does  not  preclude  the  fullest 
preparation.  The  plans  advocated  in  this  volume  will 
enable  a speaker  to  gather  materials  as  widely,  arrange 
them  as  systematically,  and  hold  them  as  firmly  in  hand, 
as  if  every  word  was  written ; while  at  the  same  time  he 
may  have  all  the  freedom  and  play  of  thought,  the  rush 
of  passion,  and  the  energy  of  delivery  that  comes  in  the 
happiest  moment  of  outgushing  words.  But  those  who 
are  unwilling  to  labor  may  as  well  lay  down  the  book. 


FOUR  METHODS  OP  SPEECH. 


23 


We  do  not  profess  to  teach  a process  of  labor-saving^ 
though  much  labor  will  be  changed  from  mechanical  to 
intellectual,  and  after  long  experience  the  total  saving 
may  be  great.  But  in  the  first  stages  those  who  have 
been  accustomed  to  write  in  full  will  find  that  the 
change  involves  an  increase,  rather  than  a diminution, 
of  work. 


CHAPTER  III. 


An  Embryo  Speech,  with  Models  of  Veby  Simple 
Plans. 

The  first  extemporaneous  speeches  attempted  should  be 
of  the  simplest  character.  Too  high  an  ideal  formed  at 
the  outset  may  be  very  harmful  by  causing  needless 
discouragement.  To  speak  freely  in  any  manner,  how- 
ever rude,  until  confidence  and  the  power  of  making 
every  faculty  available  are  acquired,  should  be  the  first 
great  object.  Many  persons  are  slaves  of  bad  habits 
through  life  because  they  began  wrong.  Nothing  harms 
an  orator  more  than  cultivating  his  critical  taste  far 
beyond  his  power  of  ready  utterance.  There  is  no 
necessary  relation  between  the  development  of  the  two 
things.  To  become  a fine  word-critic  and  master  of  an 
excellent  written  style  does  not  imply  the  power  to  strike 
off  finely  finished  sentences  at  the  speed  of  tlie  tongue ; 
but  it  does  tend  to  render  the  speaker  dissatisfied  with 
anything  below  the  level  of  his  written  performances, 
and  thus  checks  his  fluency.  To  master  the  difficult  art 
of  written  composition  first,  and  strive  afterward  to  gain 
a similar  proficiency  in  spoken  words,  is  a complete 
reversal  of  the  natural  method,  and  in  all  but  a few 
gifted  minds  puts  a premium  on  failure.  An  unlettered 


AN  EMBRYO  SPEECH. 


25 


fustic  may  speak  with  perfect  ease,  because  he  is  not 
conscious  of  the  numberless  vertel  blunders  he  falls  into; 
but  if  it  were  possible,  by  some  process  of  spiritual  infu- 
sion, to  put  him  in  possession  of  a fine,  critical  taste,  he 
would  be  instantly  smitten  dumb. 

The  true  method  is  to  cultivate  the  faculty  of  extem- 
porization side  by  side  with  critical  judgment.  In  case 
that  is  done,  ease  and  confidence  will  not  be  for  a 
moment  disturbed.  It  thus  appears  that  while  an  ex- 
tempore speaker  can  never  know  too  much,  it  is  quite 
possible  for  his  knowledge  and  cultivation  to  advance  in 
the  wrong  order.  The  pen  will  be  of  perpetual  use  to 
the  speaker ; but  his  command  of  it  must  not  increase 
so  rapidly  in  proportion  as  to  make  him  ashamed  of  his 
tongue. 

From  this  reasoning  it  follows  that  the  best  time  to 
lay  the  foundation  of  excellence  in  speech  is  very  early  in 
life.  Speeches  made  then  are  necessarily  flimsy  and  rudi- 
mentary, but  tliey  are  not  the  less  valuable  on  that 
account.  They  are  to  be  estimated  not  for  their  own 
worth,  but  for  their  results  upon  the  mind  producing 
them.  The  schoolboy^s  first  composition  has  always 
been  a mark  for  cheap  witticism ; but  the  boy  himself 
regards  it  with  j ustifiable  pride,  as  the  first  step  in  the 
noble  work  of  putting  thought  on  paper.  The  same 
pains  and  patience  applied  to  the  art  of  public  talk- 
ing ^as  to  written  composition  will  produce  equal  fruit* 


26 


AN  EMBRYO  SPEECH. 


A few  directions  intended  to  aid  in  overcoming  some 
of  the  initial  difficulties  of  speech,  which  may  serve 
as  suggestions  to  teachers  as  well  as  helps  to  solitary 
students,  are  here  appended.  They  are  purposely  made 
of  almost  ludicrous  crudeness,  but  will  not,  it  is  trusted, 
be  less  serviceable  on  that  account;  for  it  is  not  so 
important  to  aid  the  mature  speaker  in  giving  the  last 
fine  strokes  of  genius  to  a masterly  oration,  as  it  is  to 
stimulate  and  guide  beginners  in  their  first  stammering 
utterances. 

The  simplest  oration  or  formal  address  that  can  be 
constructed  has  three  distinct  parts.  With  these  we 
will  begin  the  great  work  of  division  and  arrangement. 
They  may  be  named  as  follows : 

1.  The  Intkoduction. 

2.  The  Discussion. 

3.  The  Conclusion. 

On  this  framework  a speech-plan  can  be  constructed 
simple  enough  for  any  child.  And  it  is  at  the  same 
time  true  that  even  a child,  with  such  a plan,  might 
speak  appropriately  who  would  otherwise  not  be  able  to 
begin  at  all. 

We  will  consider  these  three  parts  in  their  order. 

The  introduction  is  at  once  important  and  embarrass- 
ing. First  words  are  nearly  always  heard  attentively, 
and  they  do  much  to  determine  the  degree  of  attention 
that  will  be  bestowed  on  the  remainder  of  the  speech. 


AK  EMBRYO  SPEECH. 


27 


The  young  speaker  should  select  something  as  an  intro- 
duction upon  which  his  mind  can  ^fasten,  instead  of 
dwelling  upon  the  frightful  generality  of  the  naked 
theme.  Neither  is  it  hard  to  construct  a good  introduc- 
tion if  a few  plain  directions  are  heeded,  which  will  be 
more  fully  given  in  a succeeding  chapter.  All  persons 
feel  the  need  of  some  kind  of  a formal  opening,  and 
therefore  often  begin  with  an  apology — the  very  worst 
form  of  an  introduction,  because  it  is  not  interesting  in 
itself  and  does  not  lead  up  to  the  subject. 

In  rudimentary  speech,  which  we  are  now  considering, 
the  introduction  should  be  simple,  and,  above  everything 
else,  easy  for  the  speaker  to  comprehend  and  remember. 
If  there  is  anything  in  the  whole  world  which  he  is  sure 
he  can  talk  about  for  a few  moments,  and  which  can  be 
made  to  have  a moderate  degree  of  connection  with  his 
subject,  let  that  be  chosen  for  an  opening.  If  it  is  also 
vivid  and  striking  in  itself,  and  familiar  to  the  audience, 
so  mueh  the  better ; but  this  quality  should  not  be  in- 
sisted upon  in  these  first  attempts. 

When  the  introductory  topic  is  selected  it  should  be 
turned  over  in  the  mind  until  the  speaker  knows  just 
what  he  is  going  to  say  about  it.  This  process  will  have 
a wonderfully  quieting  effect  upon  his  nerves.  He  has 
fairly  mastered  something,  and  knows  that  at  all  events 
he  can  begin  his  speech.  It  is  well  to  make  a note  of 
this  introduetion  in  a few  simple  words  which  will 


28  AN  EMBRYO  SPEECS. 

strongly  fasten  themselves  in  the  memory.  No  effort 
toward  elaboration  should  be  made,  for  that  would 
naturally  lead  to  a memorized  introduction,  and  either 
require  the  whole  speech  to  be  written,  or  produce  a 
painful  and  difficult  transition. 

The  discussion  deals  directly  with  the  subject  or 
central  idea  of  the  discourse.  Here  a clear  statement  of 
at  least  one  thought  which  the  speaker  can  fully  grasp 
should  be  made.  The  pen  (or  pencil)  may  be  used  in 
preparation  without  impropriety.  If  but  one  idea  is 
thought  of,  let  that  be  written  in  the  fewest  and  strongest 
words  at  the  student’s  command.  While  doing  this  it  is 
likely  that  another  and  related  thought  will  spring  into 
mind  which  can  be  treated  in  the  same  manner.  With 
diligent  students  there  may  even  be  a danger  of  getting 
down  too  many  seed-thoughts.  But  that  contingency  is 
provided  for  in  the  chapters  on  the  fully  developed  plan, 
and  needs  no  further  notice  at  this  time. 

When  this  central  division  is  completely  wrought  out, 
two  other  points  claim  attention.  How  shall  the  transi- 
tion be  made  from  the  introduction  to  the  discussion  ? 
A little  reflection  will  show  how  to  glide  from  one  to  the 
other,  and  that  process  should  be  conned  over,  without 
writing,  until  it  is  well  understood.  It  is  wonderful 
how  many  outlines  of  ideas  the  memory  will  retnin 
without  feeling  burdened ; and  this  power  of  retention 
grows  enormously  through  exercise. 


AN  EMBRYO  SPEECH. 


29 


After  this,  the  mode  of  gliding  from  the  discussion  to 
the  conclusion  may  be  treated  in  the  same  manner,  and 
with  equal  profit.  The  conclusion  itself  is  scarcely  less 
material  than  the  introduction ; but  there  is  much  less 
range  of  choice  in  the  manner  of  closing  than  in  that  of 
beginning.  The  subject  is  before  the  audience,  and  any 
wide  departure  from  it  seems  like  the  beginning  of  a new 
speech — something  not  usually  well  received.  There  is 
this  distinction  between  the  relative  value  of  introduction 
and  conclusion : a good  introduction  adds  most  to  a 
speaker’s  ease,  confidence,  and  power  during  the  moment 
of  speech ; but  a good  conclusion  leaves  the  deepest  per- 
manent impression  upon  the  audience.  It  is  usually 
remembered  longer  than  any  other  part  of  the  address. 

Vf  hen  a discourse  has  been  prepared  in  this  simple 
manner  it  has  virtually  five  parts — ^three  written  and 
two  held  in  memory.  From  such  an  outline  it  is  far 
more  easy  to  make  an  address  than  from  the  bare  an- 
nouncement of  a theme.  It  is  true  that  all  these  parts 
may  be  formed  and  held  in  mind  without  ever  making 
a pen-stroke.  A practiced  orator  will  do  this,  in  a 
moment,  when  unexpectedly  called  upon  ; or  he  may  only 
forecast  the  introduction  and  trust  to  finding  the  plan  as 
fast  as  it  is  needed.  But  in  this  he  is  no  model  for  imi- 
tation by  beginners.  Even  powerful  orators  sometimes 
spoil  the  whole  effect  of  a good  address  by  an  unfor- 
tunate mode  of  closing.  They  may  forget  to  close  in 


AN  EMBRYO  SPEECH. 


:^0 

finie — a grievous  fault  ! — or  may  finish  with  some  weak 
thought  or  extravagant  proposition^  by  which  the  whole 
speech  is  mainly  judged  and  all  its  good  points  neu- 
tralized. The  construction  of  even  as  simple  a plan  as 
here  indicated  would  have  more  tlian  double  the  effect 
of  many  speeches  made  by  great  men. 

A few  simple  and  rude  plans  are  annexed.  No  merit 
is  sought  for  in  any  one  of  them  beyond  making  plain 
the  method  recommended. 

PLANS  OF  SPEECHES. 

EXAMPLE  FIRST. 

Subject. — Chinese  Emigration  to  America. 

Introduction. — The  number  of  emigrants  to 
our  country  and  the  nations  they  represent. 

[A  totally  different  and  more  effective  introduction 
might  be  the  description  of  a group  of  Chinese  as  seen 
by  the  speaker.] 

Discussion. — The  nature^  amount^  and  present 
effect  of  Chinese  emigration. 

Lit  is  possible  for  the  speaker  in  his  introduction  to 
foreshadow  the  position  he  expects  to  maintain  in  his 
speech;  or  he  may  make  a colorless  introduction  and 
reserve  his  opinion  for  the  discussion.  The  material 
under  this  head  is  unlimited.  It  is  only  necessary  from 
the  oratorical  stand-point  that  the  speaker  should  deter- 
mine what  course  to  take,  and  then  carefully  think  out 
iix  advance  or  read — for  history  and  statistics  cannot  be 


AN  EMBRYO  SPEECH. 


31 


improvised — all  about  that  which  he  intends  to  use. 
When  he  can  tell  it  all  over  easily  to  himself  he  may 
reasonably  feel  assured  of  his  ability  to  tell  it  to  others. 
The  various  arguments  should  be  weighed  and  the  best 
selected.  That  which  most  naturally  connects  with  the 
introduction  should  be  firmly  fixed  in  the  mind  as  the 
first,  that  it  may  form  the  bridge  from  the  one  part  to 
the  other.] 

Conclusion. — Results  of  policy  advocated,  either 
predicted,  described,  or  shown  to  be  probable. 
Mode  of  remedying  evils  that  might  be  appre- 
hended from  that  policy. 

[In  the  conclusion  the  speaker  may  take  upon  himself 
the  character  of  a prophet,  poet,  or  logician.  He  may 
predict  results  and  let  the  statement  make  its  own 
impression.  He  may  put  all  emphasis  upon  a vivid 
painting  of  the  future  colored  by  the  views  he  advocates ; 
or  he  may  sum  up  his  reasons,  deduce  consequences,  and 
weigh  alternatives.  The  choice  between  these  different 
modes  may  be  made  instinctively,  or  it  may  require  coiiv 
siderable  mental  effort,  but  when  made,  the  best  mode  of 
transition  will  be  very  easily  found.] 

In  all  this  process,  which  in  the  case  of  undisciplined 
speakers  may  extend  over  many  days  of  hard  work,  the 
pen  may  be  used  freely,  making  copious  notes  of  facts 
and  arguments.  After  enough  has  been  accumulated 
and  put  in  such  shape  that  the  speaker  can  easily  look 
over  the  entire  field,  he  is  ready  for  another  process — • 
that  of  simplifying  his  plan.  Rough  and  copious  notes 


32 


AN  EMBRYO  SPEECH. 


brought  with  him  to  the  platform  would  only  be  a source 
of  embarrassment.  But  the  germ  of  his  ideas,  which 
are  now  familiar,  can  be  put  into  very  small  compass. 
Perhaps  the  following  would  recall  everything  in  the 
preceding  outline : 

The  Chinese  Question. 

1.  Experience. 

2.  Arguments. 

3.  Results. 

But  it  is  clear  that  a skeleton  containing  only  three 
words  need  not  be  kept  in  view.  The  whole  outline  of 
the  speech  will  therefore  be  in  the  mind.  If  numerous 
figures  or  citations  from  authorities  are  employed,  they 
may  be  classified  and  read  from  books  or  notes,  as  needed. 
Such  reading  in  no  way  detracts  from  the  extempora- 
neous character  of  the  address,  though  if  too  numerous 
they  tend  to  damp  oratorical  fire  and  break  the  unity  of 
discourse.  One  who  has  had  no  personal  experience,  or 
who  has  not  carefully  observed  the  methods  of  other 
speidvers,  can  scarcely  imagine  how  much  a simple  out- 
line, such  as  here  suggested,  accomplishes  in  removing 
the  confusion,  fear,  and  hesitation  which  characterize 
beginners. 

Another  specimen,  not  of  controversial  character,  k 
subjoined. 


AN  EMBBYO  SPEECH. 


33 


EXAMPLE  SECOND. 

Subject. — The  Ocean. 

Introduction. — The  vastness  of  the  ocean. 
No  one  person  has  seen  more  than  a small  part 
of  it.  Power  evidenced  by  storm  and  ship- 
wrecks. 

Discussion.— Five  great  divisions  of  the  ocean. 
Use  in  nature,  watering  and  tempering  the 
land ; in  commerce,  as  a highway ; in  history,  by 
dividing  and  uniting  nations ; its  mystery,  etc. 

Conclusion. — Proof  of  the  Creator’s  power 
and  wisdom  found  in  the  ocean. 

The  Same  Plan  Condensed. 

Subject. — The  Ocean. 

1.  Vastness  and  Power. 

2.  Parts,  Use,  and  Mystery. 

3.  Evidence. 

Dean  Swift’s  Sermon. 

This  eccentric  clergyman  once  preached  a sermon  shor- 
ter than  its  own  text,  yet  having  all  the  three  parts  of 
which  we  have  spoken.  The  text  was  Prov.  xix,  20 : 
He  that  pitieth  the  poor  lendeth  to  the  Lord ; and 
that  which  he  hath  given  will  He  pay  him  again.” 

The  sermon  was : 

Brethren,  you  hear  the  condition ; if  you  like  the 
security,  down  with  the  dust.” 


34  AN  EMBRYO  SPEECH. 

The  collection  is  said  to  have  been  munificent. 

In  this  short  sermon  the  text  with  the  word  Breth- 
ren’' constitutes  the  introduction ; the  phrase,  you  hear 
the  condition,”  is  a good  transition  to  the  discussion 
contained  in  the  next  member,  if  you  like  the  security,” 
which  assumes  the  truth  of  the  text,  makes  its  general 
declarations  present  and  personal,  and  prepares  the  way 
for  the  forcible  and  practical,  if  not  very  elegant,  con- 
clusion, ^^down  with  the  dust.” 

Among  the  many  speeches  found  in  Shakespeare,  the 
existence  of  these  three  essential  parts  may  easily  be 
noted.  The  funeral  speeches  over  the  dead  body  of  J ulius 
C^sar  afford  an  excellent  example.  The  merit  of  the 
orations  of  Brutus  and  Antony  are  very  unequal,  but 
both  are  instructive.  We  will  analyze  them  in  turn. 

Brutus  speaks  first.  He  shows  his  want  of  apprecia- 
tion of  the  true  nature  of  persuasive  eloquence  by 
declaring  that  this  will  be  an  advantage.  His  introduc- 
tion is  also  too  long  and  elaborate  for  the  work  he  has  in 
hand.  The  central  thought  with  which  he  opens  is  in 
substance,  I am  worthy  of  your  closest  attention. 
This  cannot  be  considered  a fortunate  beginning,  and  it 
would  have  been  fatal  for  any  one  less  highly  esteemed 
by  the  people  than  ^Hhe  well-beloved  Brutus.  He 
says: 

Brutus’  Speech. 

Romans,  countrymen,  and  lovers ! hear  me  for  my 


AN  EMBRYO  SPEECH. 


35 


cause,  and  be  silent  that  you  may  hear ; believe  me  for 
mine  honor,  and  have  respect  to  mine  honor  that  you 
may  believe ; censure  me  in  your  wisdom  and  awake 
your  senses  that  you  may  the  better  judge.^^ 

This  introduction  is  a master-piece  of  Shakespeare’s 
art,  because  it  pictures  so  well  the  character  of  Brutus 
in  his  dignity  and  blind  self-confidence ; but  for  Brutus 
it  is  unfortunate,  because  it  puts  him  on  the  defensive 
and  makes  the  people  his  judges.  He  must  now  plead 
well,  or  they  will  condemn  him. 

In  the  discussion  the  thought  simply  is,  was 
Caesar’s  friend,  and  therefore  you  may  well  believe  that 
I would  not  have  killed  him  if  he  had  not  deserved 
death  because  of  his  ambition.”  This  is  the  whole 
argument,  and  it  is  weak  because  it  does  not  prove  the 
ambition  of  Caesar,  or  show  that  ambition  on  Caesar’s 
part  was  a crime  which  Brutus  had  a right  to  punish 
with  death.  The  antithetic  sentences  lack  both  logic  and 
passion.  As  they  touch  neither  head  nor  heart,  they 
can  have  but  slight  and  momentary  effect.  Notice  the 
discussion  as  an  example  of  fine  words  which  do  not 
serve  their  purpose. 

If  there  be  any  in  this  assembly,  any  dear  friend  of 
Caesar  s,  to  him  I say  that  Brutus’  love  to  Caesar  was 
no  less  than  his.  If,  then,  that  friend  demand  why 
Brutus  rose  against  Caesar,  this  is  my  answer : Not  that 
I loved  Caesar  less,  but  that  I loved  Rome  more.  Had 


36 


AN  EMBRYO  SPEECH. 


you  rather  Caesar  were  living,  and  die  all  slaves,  than 
that  Caesar  were  dead,  to  live  all  freemen  ? As  Caesar 
loved  me,  I weep  for  him ; as  he  was  fortunate,  I rejoice 
at  it ; as  he  was  valiant,  I honor  him ; but  as  he  was 
ambitious,  I slew  him.  There  are  tears  for  his  love,  joy 
for  his  fortune,  honor  for  his  valor,  and  death  for  his 
ambition.  Who  is  here  so  base  that  would  be  a bond- 
man  ? If  any,  speak  ; for  him  have  I offended.  Who 
is  here  so  rude,  that  would  not  be  a Roman  ? If  any, 
speak ; for  him  have  I offended.  Who  is  here  so  vile 
that  will  not  love  his  country  ? If  any,  speak ; for 
him  have  I offended.  I pause  for  a reply 

As  several  citizens  cry  out,  ^^None,  Brutus,  none,’’  he 
paisses  to  the  conclusion,  which  is  as  weak  as  the  discus- 
sion. 

Then  none  have  I offended.  I have  done  no  more 
to  Caesar,  than  you  shall  do  to  Brutus.  As  I slew  my 
best  lover  for  the  good  of  Rome,  I have  the  same  dagger 
for  myself,  when  it  shall  please  my  country  to  need  my 
death.” 

He  has  gained  nothing  by  the  whole  speech,  save  the 
knowledge  that  none  of  the  citizens  present  care  at  that 
time  to  impeach  him  for  his  crime;  but  their  minds 
were  open  to  other  influences.  Shakespeare  thus  shows 
how  an  able  man  might  use  all  his  powers  in  the  per- 
fection of  oratorical  and  rhetorical  forms,  without  pro- 
ducing a great  or  effective  speech.  Antony  now  comes 
forward.  Behold  the  contrast ! 


AK  EMBRYO  SPEECH. 


37 


Antonyms  Speech. 

The  introduction  is  like  and  unlike  that  of  Brutus. 
The  same  three  titles  are  used ; the  same  call  for  attention. 
But  there  is  no  repetition,  no  egotism,  no  elaboration. 
The  introduction  is  short,  calling  attention  to  his  osten- 
sible purpose,  and  prepares  for  a beautiful  transition  to 
the  discussion. 

Introduction. 

Friends,  Romans,  countrymen,  lend  me  your  ears. 

I come  to  bury  Csesar,  not  to  praise  him/’ 

Tliere  is  not  a superfluous  word.  But  how  can 
Antony  glide  into  those  praises  of  Caesar,  which  he 
has  disclaimed,  but  which  are  necessary  to  his  purpose  ? 
The  next  sentence  solves  the  question : 

‘‘  The  evil  that  nien  do  lives  after  them ; 

The  good  is  oft  interred  with  their  bones ; 

So  let  it  be  with  Caesar/’ 

This  leads  most  naturally  to  the  thought  of  the  dis- 
cussion, which  is,  No  event  of  Caesar’s  life  shows  guilty 
ambition ; but  many  do  reveal  love  to  the  people  and 
care  for  the  general  welfare.  He  should,  therefore,  be 
mourned,  and — the  next  word  is  not  supplied  by  the 
orator,  but  forced  from  the  hearts  of  the  people — 
avenged!  We  quote  a few  only  of  the  well-known 
words ; 


38 


AN  EMBRYO  SPEECH. 


The  Discussion. 

The  noble  Brutus 

Hath  told  you  Caesar  was  ambitious ; 

If  it  were  so,  it  were  a grievous  fault, 

And  grievously  hath  Caesar  answered  it. 

Here,  under  leave  of  Brutus  and  the  rest, 

(For  Brutus  is  an  honorable  man. 

So  are  they  all,  all  honorable  men,) 

Come  I to  speak  in  Caesar’s  funeral. 

He  was  my  friend,  faithful  and  just  to  me ; 

But  Brutus  says  he  was  ambitious. 

And  Brutus  is  an  honorable  man. 

He  hath  brought  many  captives  home  to  Rome, 
Whose  ransom  did  the  general  coffers  fill. 

Did  this  in  Caesar  seem  ambitious  ? 

When  that  the  poor  hath  cried  Caesar  hath  wept. 
Ambition  should  be  made  of  sterner  stuff. 

Yet  Brutus  says  he  was  ambitious. 

And  Brutus  is  an  honorable  man. 

You  all  did  see,  that,  on  the  Lupercal, 

I thrice  presented  him  a kingly  crown. 

Which  he  did  thrice  refuse.  Was  this  ambition  ?” 


The  strongest  argument  against  belief  in  guilty 
ambition  on  the  part  of  Caesar  and  in  favor  of  punishing 
his  murderers  is  reserved  by  the  subtle  Antony  for  the 
last,  and  then  he  manages  to  have  the  people  demand  it  of 
him.  He  proceeds  very  naturally  and  effectively  from 
the  rent  robe  and  the  bleeding  body  to  the  will  of  Caesar. 
This  instrument  gave  the  Romans  each  a large  donation 


AN  EMBRYO  SPEECH. 


39 


in  money,  and  bestowed  upon  them  collectively  his 
walks,  his  private  arbors,  and  new-planted  orchards  as 
a public  park.  The  argument  was  irresistible,  and 
needed  no  elaboration.  If  his  death  was  avenged  as  a 
murder,  the  will  would  be  valid ; otherwise,  it  would  be 
set  aside,  and  his  estate  confiscated  by  the  conspirators. 
The  people,  thus  fired  by  the  strongest  motives  of  grati- 
tude and  interest  themselves  supply  the  conclusion,  and 
Brutus  had  to  fly  for  his  life. 

The  whole  speech  is  worth  study  as  an  exhibition  of 
almost  perfect  eloquence.  Shakespeare  meant  to  draw 
in  Brutus  the  picture  of  a scholar  coming  before  the 
people  with  fine  words,  and  producing  little  more  than  a 
literary  effect.  In  Antony  he  pictures  the  true  orator 
in  the  plentitude  of  his  power,  to  whom  words  are  but 
servants  in  accomplishing  his  purpose  of  persuading  and 
inflaming  the  people.  The  one  speech  reads  as  if  it 
might  have  been  written  out  in  the  closet  and  memorized  ^ 
the  other  gushes  from  the  heart  of  the  speaker  as  he 
watches  the  sea  of  upturned  faces,  adapting  his  words 
with  exquisite  skill  to  suit  and  swell  the  passions  written 
ther^ 


CHAPTER  ly. 

Initial  Fear  and  how  to  Overcome  it. 

However  numerous  and  varied  may  be  the  classes  of 
those  who  contemplate  extempore  speech,  they  are  all 
confronted  by  one  common  difficulty.  Whether  a boy 
makes  his  maiden  effort,  or  a man  of  wide  thought  and 
ripe  culture  attempts  for  the  first  time  to  dispense  with 
the  manuscript  in  which  he  has  trusted  through  years  of 
successful  public  speech,  the  fear  of  failing  looms  up 
before  each  of  them  in  a manner  equally  formidable. 

The  writer  well  remembers  his  first  boyish  venture 
into  this  arena  of  peril.  A debate  in  a village  shoe- 
maker^s  shop  furnished  the  occasion.  Two  or  three 
speakers  were  ranged  on  a side,  and  the  question  was 
that  time-honored  controversy  of  country  lyceums — the 
comparative  magnitude  of  the  wrongs  suffered  by  the 
Indians  and  the  Negroes  at  the  hands  of  the  American 
Government.  Which  side  the  writer  was  on,  or  what 
arguments  were  used,  has  long  since  been  forgottejji,  but 
the  palpitating  heart,  the  terrible  suspense,  as  one  after 
another  of  the  preceding  speakers  made  his  remarks  and 
brought  the  terrible  moment  of  facing  the  audience 
nearer,  can  never  cease  to  be  remembered.  When  at  last 

called  out  by  the  voice  of  the  presiding  officer,  I found 

40 


INITIAL  FEAR. 


41 


my  way  to  the  end  of  a rude  bench  or  counter  that  ran 
partly  across  the  room,  leaned  upon  it,  shut  my  eyes,  and 
beo:an  to  talk.  Hoav  hoarse  and  hollow  the  sound  that 
followed ! All  that  was  uttered  was  instantly  forgotten 
by  the  speaker,  for  one  terrible  thought  dominated  every 
other — a speech  was  being  made!  My  head  whirled, 
every  nerve  tingled,  and  a confused,  roaring  sound  filled 
my  ears,  while  I most  heartily  repented  of  allowing 
myself  to  be  persuaded  into  such  a frightful  position. 
A great  dread  stared  at  me  from  the  end  of  each  sen- 
tence— that  of  finding  nothing  more  to  say  and  being 
obliged  to  sit  down  amid  the  ridicule  of  neighbors  and 
school-fellows.  When  at  length  the  agony  was  over, 
and  opening  my  eyes,  I dropped  into  a seat,  a striking 
revulsion  of  feeling  occurred.  This  rose  to  the  height 
of  joy  and  triumph  when  I learned  that  ^Hhe  speech’’ 
had  actually  been  ten  minutes  long.  It  was  a grand 
achievement ! 

In  all  sober  earnest,  I estimate  that  this  first  effort  was 
probably  the  most  profitable  of  my  life,  because  it  was 
a beginning  in  the  right  direction.  Weeks  of  prepara- 
tion preceded  the  momentous  effort,  and  in  some  kind 
of  a way  the  result  had  been  poured  upon  the  audience. 
From  that  time  the  writer  was  numbered  among  tlie 
village  debaters  and  shared  in  the  advantages  of  the 
village  Lyceum — a capital  means  of  improvement.  Had 
the  first  extemporaneous  effort  been  made  later  in  life, 


42 


INITIAL  FEAR. 


the  shrinking  and  terror,  would  probably  have  been  even 
greater. 

While  no  way  has  been  discovered  of  altogether  pre- 
venting the  initial  fear  that  attends  extemporaneous 
speech  by  the  unpracticed  orator^  yet  it  may  be  greatly 
lessened  and  more  rapid  and  perfect  control  of  it  obtained 
by  heeding  a few  simple  suggestions.  Some  serviceable 
expedients  have  already  been  pointed  out,  and  will  here 
only  be  referred  to.  As  simple  a plan  as  that  described 
in  the  last  chapter,  with  lengthened  meditation  on  each 
part,  will  give  the  mind  of  the  speaker  something  to  do 
aside  from  dwelling  upon  his  own  danger.  He  should 
also  prepare  far  more  matter  than  can  possibly  be  used 
— so  much  that  in  the  simplest  and  baldest  statement  it 
will  fill  a respectable  period  of  time.  He  need  not  be 
careful  as  to  how  he  speaks,  or  in  how  many  forms  he 
repeats  the  same  idea.  Originality,  also,  may  safely  be 
neglected.  The  object  is  not  to  talk  especially  well,  or 
to  utter  that  which  has  never  been  uttered  before,  but 
only  to  keep  on  talking  until  self-possession  and  the 
mastery  of  every  faculty  have  been  fully  restored.  This 
preparation  of  great  quantities  of  material  with  no  care 
as  to  the  graces  of  delivery  may  expose  the  speaker  in 
time  to  another  peril — that  of  being  tedious  and  weari- 
some ; but  this  is  not  the  source  of  the  initial  fear  with 
which  we  are  now  dealing,  and  when  it  becomes  a real 
evil  there  are  effectual  means  of  guarding  againstdt. 


INITIAL  FEAK. 


43 


A further  direction  is  that  the  mode  of  introduction 
be  very  firmly  fixed  in  the  mind.  This  wonderfully 
calms  the  speaker.  He  knows  that  he  can  begin  even  if 
he  never  gets  any  further ; and  by  the  time  the  intro- 
duction is  passed,  if  the  man  possesses  any  natural  apti- 
tude for  speech,  his  mind  will  in  all  ordinary  cases  have 
recovered  its  equilibrium,  and  be  ready  to  devise  and 
direct  everything  that  follows. 

The  plan  and  the  full  notes  which  have  been  made 
should  also  be  kept  within  easy  reach,  or  even  in  the 
hand — not  with  the  intention  of  using  them,  for  that  is 
the  very  thing  to  be  avoided,  but  that  the  speaker,  by 
knowing  that  they  can  be  referred  to  in  an  emergency, 
may  be  guarded  against  stage  fright.’^  He  may  also 
exercise  self-control  by  not  looking  at  them  unless  abso- 
lutely driven  to  it. 

The  object  of  first  efforts — even  for  the  orator  who  is 
great  in  other  modes  of  delivery — is  not  to  make  a great 
or  admired  speech,  but  only  to  get  through  the  ordeal 
without  disgrace  or  failure.  Quality  must  be  sought 
later.  To  get  any  reasonable  quantity  of  speech  at  first, 
to  satisfy  yourself  that  you  can  both  think  and  talk 
when  on  your  feet,  is  achievement  enough. 

One  caution  may  be  offered  to  the  man  possessing  a 
good  written  style  which  the  boy  will  not  need.  Do 
not  make  your  preparation  so  minutely  or  verbally  that 
the  very  words  linger  in  your  memory.  If  you  do,  one 


44 


INITIAL  FEAR. 


of  two  things  will  probably  happen : either  you  will 
recite  a memorized  speech,  which,  however  fine  in  itself, 
will  contribute  nothing  to  the  object  of  learning  to  speak 
extemporaneously,  or  the  fine  fragments  of  remembered 
diction  that  flood  in  your  mind  will  be  so  out  of  harmony 
with  the  words  spontaneously  evolved  as  to  produce  a 
continual  series  of  jars  and  discords  noticeable  to  every 
one,  and  to  none  more  painfully  than  to  yourself.  The 
writer  once  listened  to  a speech  of  this  mixed  character, 
in  which  the  orator  would  soar  for  a time  on  the  wings 
of  most  excellent  words,  and  then  drop  down  to  his  ordi- 
nary and  very  meagre  vocabulary.  So  frequent  and 
unexpected  were  these  transitions  that  the  orator’s  pro- 
gress suggested  nothing  so  much  as  traveling  over  one 
of  those  western  corduroy  roads,  where  the  wheels  of  the 
carriage  first  rise  with  a great  effort  on  top  of  a log,  and 
then  plunge  into  fathomless  depths  of  mud ! Rather 
than  such  jolting,  it  is  better  that  the  experimental 
speeches  should  never  rise  above  the  level  of  mere  talk, 
and  thus  maintain  a uniform  progress.  In  due  time  all 
qualified  persons  can  lift  their  extemporaneous  words  as 
high  as  the  utmost  reach  of  the  pen.  But  first  must  be 
gained  the  power  of  standing  unprotected  by  a paper  wall, 
face  to  face  with  an  audience  and  employing  every  faculty 
as  calmly  and  efficiently  as  in  the  study.  Practice  in 
talking  to  the  people  will  make  this  possible  and  easy, 
but  nothing  else  will. 


CHAPTER  y. 

Utility  of  Debating  Societies. 

Comparatively  little  attention  is  paid  to  the  direct 
cultivation  of  extemporaneous  oratory  in  schools  and 
colleges.  Indirectly,  much  help  is  given  by  teaching 
many  things  Avhich  go  to  furnish  the  orator  with  ideas 
and  words,  but  the  combination  of  these  into  that  noble 
effort  of  human  genius — a speech — is  left  to  individual 
research  or  to  accident.  A few  schools  of  oratory  have 
been  founded  which  give  a large  and  probably  dispro- 
portionate share  of  attention  to  elocution  in  the  form  of 
stage  or  dramatic  reading ; but  even  the  best  of  these  are 
as  yet  but  entering  upon  their  real  work  of  cultivating 
thoroughly  the  power  of  persuasive  public  speech.  When 
each  college  shall  have  a chair  of  extempore  speech, 
and  each  academy  shall  give  as  much  attention  to  unpre- 
meditated utterances  in  conversation  and  public  address 
as  is  now  bestowed  upon  Greek  or  Latin,  the  oratory  of 
pulpit,  bar,  platform,  and  legislature  will  be  of  a vastly 
higher  type. 

Some  newspaper  critics  have  deprecated  teaching  tlie 
art  of  speech  on  the  ground  that  there  is  already  too 
much  public  talking.  This  view,  if  seriously  entertained, 

45 


46 


UTILITY  OF  DEBATING  SOCIETIES. 


is  very  narrow  and  misleading.  Not  morOj  but  bottei 
speech — an  increase  of  quality,  rather  than  quantity 
would  result  from  cultivation,  and  improved  methods. 
And  it  may  also  be  argued  that  if  a great  part  of  the 
work  of  life  is  found  in  convincing,  instructing,  and  per- 
suading our  fellows,  an  abundance  of  speech  is  absolutely 
required.  As  freedom  and  mental  activity  increase,  the 
only  practicable  modes  of  leading  and  governing  men, 
which  rest  upon  persuasive  speech,  will  be  more  urgently 
demanded.  In  a state  where  the  will  of  one  man  is  law, 
political  speech  has  little  place  ; and  in  a Church  where 
independent  thought  is  heresy  and  the  mass  of  the  people 
accept  unquestioningly  the  precise  form  of  faith  in  which 
they  were  born,  preaching  will  have  a very  narrow  field. 
But  in  our  own  country  it  is  our  boast  that  we  determine 
every  subject  by  free  discussion  ; and  it  is  clear  that  a 
man  who  can  take  no  part  in  the  oral  battles  that  are 
continually  waged  about  him  is  placed  at  a great  disad- 
vantage. 

But  the  literary  societies  generally  connected  with 
schools  do  afford  very  valuable  help  in  acquiring  the  art 
of  oratory.  Not  only  their  formal  exercises,  but  their 
discussion  of  points  of  order  and  procedure,  and  the 
management  of  the  business  and  government  of  such 
societies,  call  out  talking  talent.  Debating  societies  or 
lyceums  give  the  same  kind  of  facilities  to  speakers 
outside  of  educational  halls.  A spirited  debate  on  some 


UTILITY  OF  DEBATING  SOCIETIES. 


47 


topic  not  above  the  comprehension  of  the  debaters 
affords  one  of  the  best  possible  means  of  acquiring  the 
prime  faculties  of  assurance  and  fluency.  In  such 
debates  the  question  is  chosen,  the  sides  assigned,  and 
ample  time  given  for  that  kind  of  preparation  which^ 
can  only  be  effectually  made  in  the  general  study  of  the 
subject.  There  is  no  great  temptation  to  write  a speech 
for  a coming  debate,  as  its  formal  sentences  would  lit 
poorly  into  the  line  of  argument,  the  course  of  which 
cannot  be  foreseen,  even  if  their  substance  should  not  be 
anticipated  by  a speaker  on  the  same  side.  But  the 
more  general  knowledge  of  the  subject  in  its  entire  range 
that  can  be  acquired  the  better,  so  long  as  it  does  not 
overwhelm  the  speaker.  The  opening  speech  may 
indeed  be  planned  in  advance  with  some  definiteness, 
but  all  others  will  be  colored  and  modified  by  the  situa- 
tion into  which  the  debate  has  been  drawn.  Each  par- 
ticipant is  under  a strong  stimulus  to  do  his  best,  sure, 
if  successful,  of  warm  approval  by  his  colleagues  and 
sweet  triumph  over  his  opponents.  After  the  opening 
speech  each  contestant  will  have  the  time  his  predecessor 
is  speaking  for  arranging  arguments  and  preparing  an 
answer.  The  stimulus  of  contradiction  rouses  every 
faculty  to  the  highest  energy.  Each  argument  is  scru- 
tinized for  the  purpose  of  discovering  its  weak  point, 
and  nothing  will  pass  on  trust.  It  may  as  well  be 
acknowledged  that  the  gladiatorial  spirit,  though  in  a 


48 


UTILITY  OF  DEBATING  SOCIETIES. 


modified  form^  is  still  rife  in  the  civilized  world.  The 
•^joy  of  conflict  may  be  tasted  as  well  in  the  sharp 
encounters  of  an  earnest  debate  upon  some  topic  of 
absorbing  interest  as  on  the  battle-field.  A society  wliich 
furnishes  its  members  continual  opportunity  for  speech, 
under  such  conditions  cannot  fail  to  be  a powerful 
educator  in  the  direction  of  extemporaneous  speech.  In 
such  encounters,  the  freedom  that  belongs  to  this  kind  of 
address  is  most  highly  appreciated,  and  the  mistaken 
considerations  of  dignity  and  propriety  which  so  often 
take  all  life  and  heart  from  speech  can  have  little 
weight.  Debates  have  indeed  been  occasionally  carried 
on  by  means  of  essays  in  place  of  speeches,  but  such 
encounters  have  been  tame  and  listless  affairs,  and  have 
soon  given  place  to  the  real  article.  Among  the  Ameri- 
can statesmen  who  have  taken  their  first  lessons  in  the  art 
which  paved  their  way  to  greatness  in  country  debating 
societies  may  be  reckoned  Henry  Clay,  Abraham  Lin^- 
coin,  James  A.  Garfield,  and  many  others  only  less  emi- 
nent. 

Enough  inducements,  we  trust,  have  been  set  forth  to 
lead  every  student  of  speech  to  find  or  make  an  oppor- 
tunity for  availing  himself  of  this  capital  means  of  cul- 
tivation. Let  him  enter  upon  the  work  of  debating, 
earnestly  resolving  (after  the  first  few  efforts)  to  do  the 
very  best  in  his  power.  Let  him  arrange  his  material 
carefully,  select  a striking  mode  of  opening  each  address, 


UTILITY  OF  DEBATING  SOCIETIES. 


49 


and  strive  to  close  in  such  a manner  as  to  leave  the'  best 
effect  on  the  minds  of  his  hearers.  As  he  debates  for 
improvement  rather  than  for  immediate  victory,  he  will, 
of  course,  despise  all  tricks  and  seek  to  win  fairly,  or — 
what  is  just  as  important  a lesson — he  will  learn  to 
accept  defeat  gracefully. 

The  skeletons  of  two  speeches  on  opposite  sides  of  the 
same  question  are  here  presented  for  the  purpose  of 
showing  how  a simple  plan  will  hold  to  the  proper  place 
all  the  thoughts  and  arguments  that  may  be  accumulated. 

The  same  form  of  outline  is  used  as  in  the  preceding 
chapter. 

Question. 

Would  the  annexation  of  Cuba  to  the  United  States  be 
beneficial  f 

Affirmative  Argument. 

Introduction. — How  small  and  hemmed  in  by 
powerful  countries  the  United  States  would 
have  been  if  no  annexations  had  ever  been 
made.  To  annex  Cuba  would  be  no  new  policy. 

Discussion.  Argument  First. — Favorable  loca- 
tion of  Cuba  and  commercial  value  to  the 
United  States. 

Argument  Second, — The  great  riches  and  beauty 
of  the  Island,  which  make  it  very  desirable. 

Argument  Third. — Advantages  to  the  people  of 
Cuba  themselves,  in  belonging  to  a great  and 
free  nation. 


UTILITY  OF  DEBATING  SOCIETIES.  ; ^ 

Conclusion. — All  previous  annexations  had  to 
encounter  strong  opposition  when  first  pro- 
posed, but  are  now  acknowledged  to  have  been  | 
good  policy.  So,  if  Cuba  is  brought  under  i 
our  flag,  opposition  will  die  out  and  all  parties  , 
be  glad  of  the  result.  | 

Negative  Abgument. 

Inteoduction. — Plausible  but  inconclusive  na-  ^ 
ture  of  the  argument  advanced  on  the  other  | 
side.  Previous  annexations  may  not  have  been  : 
good,  though  opposition  ceased  when  it  could 
avail  nothing.  Even  if  all  former  annexations 
were  beneficial  this  might  not  be,  as  all  attend-  | 
ing  circumstances  are  so  widely  different.  i 

Discussion.  Argument  First — The  nation  has 
already  as  much  territory  as  can  be  well  gov-  i 
erned.  An  increase  would  lead  to  grave  dan- 
gers. ! 

Argument  Second, — The  people  of  Cuba  are  dif-  | 

ferent  in  language,  race,  and  religion  from  the  , 
majority  of  the  people  of  the  United  States; 
have  different  customs,  and  are  unacquainted 
with  the  working  of  our  institutions.  They  : 
could  not  therefore  be  transformed  easily  into  | 
good  citizens.  I 

Conclusion. — Dreadful  wars  and  calamities 
have  arisen  in  all  ages  and  all  parts  of  the  | 
world  from  greediness  in  absorbing  territory — 
earth  hunger,^^  as  the  Germans  call  it.  To 
annex  Cuba  Avould  involve  present  and  future 
danger. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Thought  and  Emotion. 

Two  kinds  of  preparation  contribute  to  the  production 
of  eloquence.  One  is  the  preparation  of  the  speaker, 
the  other  of  the  speech.  The  first  is  fully  as  important 
as  the  second.  In  ordinary  cases  both  are  indispensabie. 
Some  born  orators  speak  well  without  appearing  to 
pay  any  attention  to  the  improvement  of  their  faculties. 
Others  are  occasionally  eloquent  on  a topic  without 
special  preparation.  Yet  these  cases  when  closely  ex- 
amined will  be  found  apparent  rather  than  real  excep- 
tions to  the  rule  above  stated.  The  man  who  seems 
never  to  have  cultivated  the  power  of  speech,  and  is  yet 
able  to  blaze  into  fervid  eloquence  at  will,  has  usually 
concealed  his  preparation  or  carried  it  on  in  such  uncom- 
mon methods  that  they  have  not  been  recognized  as 
preparations.  On  the  other  hand,  a man  who  speaks 
well  without  a moment^s  warning  can  do  so  only  when 
the  subject  is  thoroughly  familiar  to  him.  A ready  and 
self-possessed  speaker  may  grasp  thoughts  which  liave 
been  long  maturing  in  his  mind,  and  give  them  forth  to 
an  audience  in  obedience  to  an  unexpected  summons,  but 
if  he  is  called  upon  when  he  knows  nothing  whatever  of 
his  subject,  failure  is  inevitable,  though  he  may  possibly 

51 


52 


THOUGHT  AND  EMOTION. 


veil  it  more  or  less  in  a stream  of  platitudes.  Ask  a 
man  at  a moment’s  warning  to  give  an  astronomical 
lecture.  If  he  is  perfectly  familiar  with  the  subject  in 
general,  and  is  also  a practical  orator,  he  may  succeed 
well  without  preparing  a special  speech.  But  if  he  is 
ignorant  of  Astronomy,  what  kind  of  an  address  can  he 
make  ? If  he  is  the  most  eloquent  man  in  the  nation 
that  faculty  will  avail  him  nothing,  for  he  cannot  extem- 
porize the  names  of  the  planets,  the  laws  which  govern 
their  motions,  or  any  of  the  facts  out  of  which  his  lecture 
must  be  woven.  Precisely  the  same  necessity  of  adequate 
information  exists  in  every  other  field  of  intelligence. 
The  ignorant  man  cannot  possibly  tell  that  which  he  does 
not  know,  although  he  may  make  a great  show  of  knowl- 
edge out  of  small  material;  but  even  to  do  that  with 
certainty  requires  careful  premeditation  and  arrange- 
ment. 

In  this  and  following  chapters  we  wish  to  treat  of 
the  kind  of  cultivation  which  makes  a man  ready  to 
speak.  The  field  is  here  very  wide  and  some  general 
considerations  must  be  introduced,  but  we  hope  also  to 
give  valuable  practical  directions,  especially  to  those 
who  are  yet  at  the  beginning  of  their  career. 

In  considering  man  as  a speaker,  we  may  classify  his 
faculties  into  two  broad  divisions;  those  which  furnish 
the  TnateTicils  of  communication  with  his  fellows;  and 
those  which  furnish  the  means  of  such  communication. 


THOUGHT  AND  EMOTIOJ^. 


53 


The  first  class  gives  rise  to  thoughts  and  emotions  in 
man^s  own  breast;  the  second  enables  him  to  arouse 
similar  thoughts  and  emotions  in  the  breasts  of  others 
Our  course,  therefore,  will  be  to  consider,  first,  thought 
and  emotion,  and  afterward  those  powers  of  body  and 
mind  by  which  we  express,  that  is,  press  out  from  our- 
selves toward  the  receptive  faculties  of  our  fellow  beings. 

Thought y in  the  broad  sense  here  given,  embraces 
the  knowledge  of  all  facts,  and  all  the  reasoning  that  may 
be  based  upon  those  facts.  Emotion  is  the  mental  feeling 
or  response  to  knowledge,  and  comprises  love,  hate,  joy, 
fear,  sorrow,  and  hope.  These  two  elements  are  the 
broad  basis  of  all  eloquence.  Keen,  profound,  far-reach- 
ing thought — in  other  words,  thought  raised  to  its 
highest  terms — and  quick,  sensitive,  powerful  emotion, 
are  necessary  to  the  highest  eloquence.  Compared  with 
them,  mere  verbal  fluency  is  less  than  dust  in  the 
balance.  But  such  a combination — the  highest  degree 
of  both  thought  and  emotion — is  rare,  and  many  degrees 
less  than  the  highest  of  either  is  available  for  genuine 
eloquence.  To  increase  either  or  both,  if  it  can  be 
done  without  any  corresponding  sacrifice,  is  to  increase 
eloquence  in  precisely  the  same  proportion. 

Education  in  the  popular  sense  is  the  cultivation  of 
thought  with  the  added  faculty  of  language.  But  we 
prefer  to  consider  the  latter  power  separately  as  one 
among  the  means  of  communicating  thought. 


54 


THOUGHT  AND  EMOTION. 


How^  then^  shall  thought-power  be  increased  ? There  j 
is  no  royal  road.  Every  one  of  the  faculties  by  which  j 
knowledge  is  accumulated  and  arranged  or  digested  into  | 
new  forms  grows  stronger  by  being  employed  upon  its  | 
own  appropriate  objects.  Exercise  is  then  the  means  by 
which  the  material  of  knowledge  is  gathered,  and  all 
faculties  strengthened  for  future  gathering.  Each  fact 
gained  adds  to  the  treasury  of  thought.  A broad  and 
liberal  education  is  of  exceeding  advantage.  This  may 
or  may  not  be  of  the  schools.  Indeed,  they  too  often 
substitute  a knowledge  of  words  for  a knowledge  of 
things.  That  fault  is  very  serious  to  the  orator,  for  the 
only  way  by  which  even  language  can  be  effectively 
taught,  is  by  giving  terms  to  objects,  the  nature  of 
which  has  been  previously  learned. 

But  many  persons  need  to  speak  who  cannot  obtain  an 
education  in  the  usual  sense  of  the  words  ^that  is, 
college  or  seminary  training.  Must  they  keep  their  lips 
forever  closed  on  that  account?  By  no  means. 

A thousand  examples,  some  of  them  the  most  eminent 
speakers  the  world  has  produced,  encourage  them  to 
hope.  Let  such  persons  learn  all  they  can.  Wide, 
well-selected,  and  systematic  reading  will  do  wonders  in 
supplying  the  necessary  thought-material.  Every  book 
of  history,  biography,  travels,  popular  science,  which  is 
carefully  read,  and  its  contents  fixed  in  the  mind,  will 
be  available  for  the  purposes  of  oratory.  Here  a word 


THOUGHT  AND  EMOTION. 


55 


of  advice  may  be  oifered,  which,  if  heeded,  will  be  worth 
many  months  of  technical  education  at  the  best  colleges 
in  the  land ; it  is  this : have  always  at  hand  some  work 
that  in  its  own  sphere  possesses  real  and  permanent 
merit,  and  read  it  daily  until  completed.  If  notes  are 
made  of  its  contents,  and  the  book  itself  kept  on  hand 
for  reference,  so  much  the  better.  If  some  friend  can  be 
found  who  will  hear  you  relate  in  your  own  words  what 
you  have  read,  this  also  will  be  of  great  value.  Many 
persons,  especially  in  our  own  country,  spend  time  enough 
in  reading  the  minute  details  of  the  daily  papers  to  make 
them  thoroughly  acquainted  in  ten  years  with  forty  vol- 
umes of  the  most  useful  books  in  the  world.  Think  of 
it ! This  number  may  include  nearly  all  the  literary 
masterpieces.  Which  mode  of  spending  the  time  will 
produce  the  best  results?  One  newspaper  read  daily 
would  amount  to  more  than  three  hundred  in  a year,  and 
allowing  each  paper  to  be  equal  to  ten  ordinary  book 
pages,  the  result  would  be  three  thousand  pages  annually^ 
or  six  volumes  of  five  hundred  pages  each.  In  ten  years 
this  would  reach  sixty  volumes ! This  number,  com- 
prising the  world’s  best  books  in  history,  poetry,  science, 
and  general  literature,  might  be  read  slowly,  with  medi- 
tation and  diligent  note-taking,  by  the  most  busy  man 
who  was  willing  to  employ  his  leisure  in  that  way. 
Libraries  and  books  are  now  brought  within  the  reach 
of  all,  and  the  mass  of  what  man  knows  can  be  learned 


56  THOUGHT  AND  EMOTION. 

in  outline  by  any  student  who  thirsts  for  knowledge. 
While  thus  engaged  the  student  is  on  the  direct  road 
toward  oratorical  efficiency,  though  such  knowledge  will 
not  in  itself  constitute  eloquence.  It  is  but  one  of  its 
elements.  Neither  will  the  speaker  have  to  wait  until 
any  definite  quantity  of  reading  has  been  accomplished 
before  it  becomes  serviceable  to  him.  All  that  he  learns 
will  be  immediately  available,  and,  with  proper  effort, 
the  facility  of  speech  and  the  material  for  speaking  will 
keep  pace  with  each  other. 

But  personal  observation  of  life  and  nature  are  just 
as  necessary  as  reading.  The  world  of  books  is  very 
extensive,  but  it  yields  its  treasures  only  to  persons  who 
bring  to  its  study  some  independent  knowledge  of  their 
own.  We  cannot  hope  to  add  much  to  the  world’s  stock 
of  knowledge  by  what  we  see  with  our  own  eyes,  but 
what  we  do  see  and  hear  will  interpret  for  us  what  we 
learn  from  the  far  wider  world  of  books.  Gibbon  tells 
us  that  his  militia  service,  tliough  of  no  great  advan- 
tage in  itself,  was  afterward  very  useful  to  the  historian 
of  the  Roman  Empire.  What  we  behold  of  the  land- 
scape around  us  lays  the  foundation  for  understanding 
what  poets  and  travelers  tell  us  of  other  landscapes  we 
may  never  see.  Book  knowledge  will  become  real  and 
vivid  just  in  proportion  as  it  is  brought  into  comparison 
with  the  observation  of  our  own  senses.  To  the  orator, 
this  is  far  more  important  than  to  the  ordinary  student, 


THOUGHT  AND  EMOTION. 


57 


for  it  adds  greatly  to  the  royal  faculty  of  imagination.  A 
description  from  the  lips  of  a speaker  who  beholds  at  the 
moment  a mental  picture,  accurate  as  a photograph,  and 
bright  with  color,  will  be  very  different  from  another 
description  built  up  only  of  words,  however  well  chosen 
and  melodious  the  latter  may  be.  A little  dabbling  in 
natural  science,  a few  experiments  tried,  an  occasional 
peep  through  telescope  or  microscope  at  the  worlds  they 
open,  and  all  other  means  of  bringing  knowledge  under 
the  scrutiny  of  our  own  senses,  will  greatly  contribute  to 
the  power  of  the  orator. 

The  reasoning  faculties  must  also  be  trained  by  exer- 
cise upon  their  own  objects.  The  knowledge  which  has 
been  gathered  from  personal  observation  or  from  the 
testimony  of  others  in  books  will  furnish  material,  but 
will  not  enable  us  to  reason.  Logic  and  mathematics 
have  considerable  utility  as  guides,  but  they  cannot  supply 
the  want  of  continuous  application  of  the  processes  of 
argument  and  deduction.  No  man  becomes  a reasoner 
from  merely  learning  the  mode  in  which  the  reason 
operates.  Of  two  persons,  one  of  whom  understands 
every  mood  of  the  syllogism  and  the  source  of  every 
fallacy,  while  the  other  has  no  technical  knowledge  of 
logic,  but  has  been  engaged  in  careful  reasoning,  discus- 
sion, and  argument,  all  his  life,  it  may  easily  happen  that 
the  latter  will  be  the  better  reasoner  of  the  two — just  as 
a man  might  learn  from  the  books  all  the  rules  of  the 


58 


THOUGHT  AND  EMOTION. 


game  of  croquet,  and  yet  be  beaten  by  another  who 
continually  handled  the  mallet,  but  had  never  read  a 
single  rule.  Practice  makes  perfect.  Essay  writing,  | 
constructing  arguments,  tracing  effects  back  to  their  j 
causes,  making  careful  comparison  of  all  things  that  can 
be  compared,  in  short,  bringing  our  judgment  to  bear 
upon  all  facts,  forming  our  own  opinions  of  every  event,  | 
and  being  always  ready  to  give  a reason  to  those  who 
ask,— these  modes  of  exercise  will  make  the  faculty  ot 
reason  grow  continually  stronger.  It  is  not  pretended 
that  these  or  any  other  modes  of  cultivation  can  make 
all  minds  equal,  but  they  will  improve  any  one— the 
lowest  as  surely  as  the  most  active — though  the  interval 
after  both  have  been  thus  exercised  will  remain  as  great 
as  before. 

Extempore  speech  itself,  when  practiced  upon  carefully 
arranged  plans  or  models  as  recommended  hereafter,  is 
one  of  the  most  powerful  modes  of  cultivating  the  logi- 
cal faculty.  To  construct  plans,  so  that  all  thoughts 
accumulated  upon  a given  subject  may  be  unfolded  in  a 
natural  and  orderly  manner,  cannot  fail  to  exercise  the 
reasoning  faculties,  and  impart  corresponding  strength  to 
them. 

But  how  shall  emotion  be  cultivated?  The  wisest 
speech,  if  deep  feeling  neither  throbs  in  the  words  nor 
is  manifested  in  delivery,  cannot  be  eloquent.  The 
orator  can  only  speak  forth  from  an  aroused  and  excited 


THOUGHT  AND  EMOTION. 


59 


nature.  There  is  a kind  of  intellectual  excitation 
kindled  by  the  presentation  of  truth  which  is  suf- 
ficiently effective  when  instruction  is  the  only  object. 
But  to  persuade  and  move  men — the  usual  aim  of  the 
orator — requires  passion.  No  pretense  will  avail  the 

extempore  speaker.  He  will  infallibly  be  detected  if 
counterfeiting,  and  to  succeed  in  exhibiting  feeling  he 
must  really  feel.  There  are  but  two  things  which  can 
arouse  feeling — care  for  a cause  or  for  persons.  Many  a 
man  is  eloquent  when  “ riding  his  hobby,”  though  at  no 
other  time.  He  has  thought  so  much  upon  that  special 
subject,  and  has  so  thoroughly  identified  himself  with  it, 
that  everything  relating  to  it  becomes  invested  with  per- 
sonal interest.  Any  cause  which  can  thus  be  made  per- 
sonal will  be  apt  to  arouse  feeling.  It  would  be  wise, 
therefore,  for  an  orator  to  identify  himself  as  closely  as 
possible  with  all  manner  of  good  causes  which  come 
within  his  reach.  Then  such  well-springs  of  emotion 
will  gush  out  easily  and  frequently. 

This  mode  of  excitation  is  largely  intellectual  in  its 
character.  The  next  to  be  described  has  more  to  do  with 
the  affections.  The  clergyman  wants  to  secure  the  wel- 
fare of  his  congregation,  and  the  better  he  is  acquainted 
with  them  individually  the  stronger  will  be  this  wish. 
The  lawyer  is  but  a poor  attorney  if  he  does  not  so 
identify  himself  with  his  client  as  to  feel  more  than  a 
professional  interest  in  the  latter’s  success.  The  politi- 


GO  TIlOUaHT  AKD  EMOTION. 

dan  needs  no  exhortation  to  rouse  his  enthusiasm  for  his 
party  and  his  chief.  All  these  are  instances  of  that  care 
for  persons  which  adds  so  greatly  to  the  powers  of  effec- 
tive speech.  The  plain  inference,  therefore,  is  that  the 
speaker  will  gain  largely  by  identifying  himself  as 
closely  as  possible  with  the  interests  of  men,  and  by  cul- 
tivating love  for  them.  A cynical  or  indifferent  spirit 
makes  a fearful  discount  from  the  possibilities  of 
eloquence.  Only  the  greatest  qualities  in  other  direc- 
tions can  prevent  it  from  proving  fatal. 

The  power  and  sensitiveness  of  emotions  founded  upon 
intimate  knowledge  and  partnership  of  interest  go  far 
to  explain  the  wonderful  eloquence  of  the  old  Greeks. 
Their  country  was  the  native  land  of  eloquence.  This 
arose  not  so  much  from  the  character  of  that  gifted  race 
as  from  the  fact  that  each  speaker  personally  knew  his 
audience  and  had  an  intimate,  material  interest  in  the 
affairs  he  discussed.  They  regarded  their  opponents  as 
terribly  bad  men.  Their  own  lives  and  the  lives  of 
many  of  their  friends  were  not  unfrequently  involved  in 
the  questions  they  discussed.  The  States  were  so  small, 
and  the  personal  element  so  important,  that  strongly 
aroused  feeling  became  inevitable.  The  discussion  of 
war  or  peace  before  an  audience  who  knew  that  if  they 
voted  war  their  town  might  be  besieged  by  the  enemy 
within  a fortnight,  was  sure  to  be  eagerly  listened  to. 
No  platitudes  would  be  tolerated.  The  orators  spoke 


THOmHT  AND  EMOTION. 


61 


before  their  neighbors,  some  of  them  friendly,  others 
bitter  enemies  who  were  seeking  in  each  word  they 
uttered  an  occasion  for  their  ruin.  Much  of  the  won- 
derful power  of  Demosthenes  arose  from  the  deep  solici- 
tude felt  by  himself  and  excited  in  his  hearers  as  they 
watched  the  swiftly  coming  ruin  of  their  common 
country. 

It  is  also  a law  of  human  nature  that  we  feel  deeply 
for  that  which  has  cost  us  great  labor.  The  collector  of 
old  china  or  of  entomological  specimens  learns  to 
greatly  value  the  ugly  dishes  and  bugs  he  gathers,  though, 
others  may  despise  them.  The  more  of  real  work  we 
do  in  the  world,  the  deeper  the  hold  our  hearts  take 
upon  it.  This  is  one  of  the  secrets  of  the  power  of 
goodness  as  an  element  of  oratory.  It  was  long  ago 
declared  that  a good  man,  other  things  being  equal,  will 
be  a better  speaker  than  a bad  man.  His  affections  are 
called  forth  by  a greater  variety  of  objects.  Yet  hate 
can  make  a man  eloquent  as  well  as  love,  and  some  of 
the  most  eloquent  orations  ever  uttered  partook  largely 
of  this  baleful  inspiration.  But  the  occasions  on  which 
noble  feelings  may  rise  into  eloquence  are  far  more 
numerous  and  important. 

Why  should  not  a man  train  himself  to  take  a deep 
interest  in  all  that  is  brought  familiarly  to  his  notice  ? 
This  wide  range  of  sympathy  is  one  of  the  marks  which 
distinguishes  a great  from  a small  mind.  It  has  been 


62 


THOUGHT  AND  EMOTION. 


said  that  lunar  politics  can  have  no  possible  interests 
for  the  inhabitants  of  this  globe.  But  who  can  be  sure 
of  this,  if  there  be  such  a thing  as  lunar  politics  ’’  ? 
The  wider  our  knowledge  the  more  we  recognize  the 
possibility  of  interests  which  we  had  not  before  dreamed 
of.  If  there  are  inhabitants  on  the  moon,  and  if  we 
have  an  immortal  existence,  it  is  far  from  impossible 
that  we  might  some  time  be  brought  into  the  closest  con- 
nection with  them.  No  man  can  tell  the  bearing  of  a 
new  fact  upon  human  welfare,  more  than  he  can  write 
the  history  of  a new-born  babe.  At  any  rate,  every 
fact  is  a part  of  the  great  system  of  truth  which  lies  all 
about  us,  and  which  is  adapted  to  the  needs  of  our  intel- 
lect. Let  it  also  be  remembered  that  all  men  are  kin- 
dred, and  that  we  should  make  common  cause  with  them. 
When  this  comes  to  be  the  habitual  attitude  of  the  mind, 
not  as  a mere  sentiment,  but  as  a strong  and  steady 
impulse,  impassioned  speech  on  any  great  theme  affecting 
the  interests  of  nations  or  individual  men  will  be  easy. 

Emotion  cannot  be  feigned,  neither  can  it  be  directly 
roused  by  an  effort  of  the  will.  We  cannot  say,  Now 
I will  be  in  a furious  passion,^^  or,  Now  I will  be 
inflamed  with  wrath  against  this  great  wrong,^^  for  the 
mere  sake  of  speaking  better  upon  the  subject  in  hand. 
But  we  can  gaze  upon  a great  wrong,  and  meditate  upon 
the  evil  it  involves,  until  the  tides  of  indignant  emotion 
arise  in  our  breast.  Many  a well-prepared  speech  has 


THOUGHT  AND  EMOTION, 


63 


failed  of  effect,  because  the  orator  was  so  anxious  about 
the  form  of  his  address  and  his  own  popularity  as  to 
lose  mterest  in  the  subject  itself.  Sometimes  speeches 
read  or  recited  fail  from  an  opposite  cause.  The  interest 
has  once  been  aroused,  and  having  burned  during  the 
protracted  period  of  composition,  it  cools  and  cannot  be 
recalled.  No  energy,  declamation,  or  elegance  of  diction 
can  redeem  this  capital  defect. 

To  tell  a man  in  general  terms  how  he  may  widen  his 
sympathies  and  enter  into  the  closest  bonds  with  his  fel- 
lows is  difficult.  It  is  much  easier  to  tell  him  what  not 
to  do.  The  hermits  of  the  desert  took  exactly  the 
wrong  course.  They  lost  the  power  of  eloquence  except 
upon  some  theme  which  could  be  wedded  to  their  solitary 
musings.  Peter  the  Hermit  was  roused  to  fury  by  the 
tales  of  wrongs  to  pilgrims  in  the  Holy  City — almost 
the  only  thing  that  could  have  made  him  eloquent.  But 
on  that  one  topic  he  spoke  like  a man  inspired  and  was 
able  to  call  all  Europe  to  arms.  Whatever  separates 
from  the  common  interests  of  humanity  must  diminish 
the  power  or  at  least  the  range  of  genuine  emotion.  To 
know  a great  many  men,  to  understand  their  business 
affairs,  to  enter  into  their  joy  and  fear,  to  watch  the  feel- 
ings that  rise  and  fall  in  their  hearts,  is  sure  to  deepen 
our  own  feelings  by  unconscious  imitation  and  sympathy. 
Each  new  friend  is  an  added  power  of  noblest  emotion 
a new  point  at  which  the  world  takes  hold  of  our  hearts. 


64 


THOUGHT  AND  EMOTION. 


How  many  persons  are  eloquent  for  a cause  only ! On 
the  other  hand,  some  men  care  nothing  for  general  prin- 
ciples, but  will  throw  their  whole  soul  into  a conflict  for 
friends. 

That  man  is  well  furnished  for  eloquence  who  knows 
a great  deal,  who  can  mentally  combine,  arrange,  and 
reason  correctly  upon  what  he  knows,  who  feels  a per- 
sonal interest  in  every  fact  with  which  his  memory  is 
stored,  and  every  principle  which  can  be  deduced  from 
those  facts,  and  who  has  so  great  an  interest  in  his  fel- 
lows that  all  deeds  which  affect  them  awaken  the  same 
response  in  his  heart  as  if  done  to  himself.  He  will 
then  possess  all  the  necessary  treasures  of  thought,  and 
will  himself  be  warmed  by  the  fires  of  emotion.  The 
only  remaining  problem  will  be  to  find  the  manner  of 
communicating  his  thought  and  emotion  in  undiminished 
force  to  others  through  the  medium  of  speech. 

The  mode  of  cultivating  the  powers  necessary  to  this 
end  will  next  engage  our  attention. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Language. 

The  preceding  chapter  dealt  with  those  faculties  which 
provide  the  materials  of  speech,  and  in  one  sense  was 
scarcely  appropriate  to  a treatise  designed  to  show  the 
best  modes  of  communicating  knowledge.  Yet  it  was 
difficult  to  approach  the  subject  intelligibly  in  any  other 
way.  So  much  has  been  said  about  the  natural  power 
of  oratory  that  it  was  necessary  to  define  its  character 
and  to  show  how  it  might  be  supplemented  by  cultiva- 
tion. But  it  is  more  directly  our  task  to  point  out  the 
mode  of  improving  the  communicative  faculties. 

First  in  importance  among  these  stands  language. 
Without  its  assistance  thought  could  not  be  consecutively 
imparted.  Some  vague  and  intangible  conceptions  might 
arise  within  our  own  minds,  but  even  these  could  not  be 
given  to  other  minds  without  the  medium  of  words. 
The  power  of  language  is  distinct  from  general  intellec- 
tual ability.  It  by  no  means  follows  that  a man  who 
possesses  important  thoughts  and  deep  emotions  will  be 
able  to  communicate  them  well ; but  a very  moderate 
endowment  of  the  word-faculty  may  be  so  cultivated  a.s 
to  fulfill  every  requirement.  Diligent  practice  in  the 

methods  advised  below  will  enable  the  great  majority  of 

65 


(36 


LANGUAGE. 


men  to  express  their  thoughts  with  fullness  and  ac- 
curacy. 

There  are  certain  laws  in  every  language  made  binding 
by  custom,  which  cannot  be  transgressed  without  expos- 
ing the  offender  to  the  severe  penalty  of  ridicule  and 
contempt.  These  laws  form  the  basis  of  grammar,  and 
must  be  thoroughly  learned.  If  a man  has  been  under 
the  influence  of  good  models  from  childhood,  correctness 
will  be  a matter  almost  of  instinct ; but  the  reverse  of 
this  is  frequently  the  case.  Even  then  there  is  but  little 
difficulty  experienced  by  any  one  who  will  take  the 
necessary  pains,  in  learning  to  write  in  accordance  with 
the  rules  of  speech,  and  when  this  power  has  been 
attained  there  is  a standard  formed  by  which  to  judge  our 
spoken  words.  But  it  is  not  enough  for  the  extempore 
speaker  to  be  able  to  reduce  his  sentences  to  correctness 
by  recasting,  pruning,  or  adding  to  them.  They  should 
be  required  to  present  themselves  at  first  in  correct  form 
and  in  rounded  completeness.  He  has  no  time  to  think 
of  right  or  wrong  constructions,  and  the  only  safe  way, 
therefore,  is  to  make  the  right  so  habitual  that  the  wrong 
will  not  once  be  thought  of.  In  other  words,  we  must 
not  only  be  able  to  express  ourselves  correctly  by  tongue 
and  pen,  but  the  very  current  of  unspoken  words  that 
flows  in  our  brains  must  be  shaped  in  full  conformity  to 
the  laws  of  language.  When  we  exercise  the  power  of 
continuous  grammatical  thinking^  there  will  be  no  diffi- 


LANGUAGE. 


67 


eulty  in  avoiding  the  ridiculous  blunders  which  are  sup- 
posed to  be  inseparable  from  extempore  speech. 

Correcitness  in  pronunciation  is  also  of  importance. 
Usage  has  given  each  word  its  authorized  sounds  which 
no  person  can  frequently  mistake  without  rendering  him- 
self liable  to  the  easiest  and  most  damaging  of  all  criti- 
cisms. Bad  pronunciation  produces  another  and  ex- 
tremely hurtful  effect  upon  extempore  speech.  The  men- 
tal effort  necessary  to  discriminate  between  two  modes  of 
pronouncing  a word,  neither  of  which  is  known  to  be 
right,  diverts  the  mind  from  the  subject  and  produces  em- 
barrassment and  hesitation.  Accuracy  in  the  use  of 
words,  which  is  a charm  in  spoken  no  less  than  written 
language,  may  also  be  impaired  from  the  same  cause ; for 
if  two  terms  that  may  be  used  for  the  same  idea  are 
thought  of,  only  one  of  which  can  be  pronounced  with  cer- 
tainty, that  one  will  be  preferred,  even  if  the  other  be  the 
more  suitable.  The  extemporizer  ought  to  be  so  familiar 
with  the  sound  of  all  common  words  that  none  but  the 
right  pronunciation  and  accent  will  ever  enter  his  mind. 

Fluency  and  accuracy  in  the  use  of  words  are  two 
qualities  that  have  often  been  confounded,  though  per- 
fectly distinct.  To  the  speaker  they  are  of  equal  im- 
portance, while  the  writer  has  far  more  need  of  the  latter. 
All  words  have  their  own  peculiar  shades  of  meaning. 
They  have  been  builded  up  into  their  present  shape 
through  long  ages.  By  strange  turns  and  with  many  a 


68 


LANGUAGE. 


curious  history  have  they  glided  into  the  significations 
they  now  bear ; and  each  one  is  imbedded  in  the  minds 
of  the  people  as  the  representative  of  certain  definite 
ideas.  Words  are  delicate  paints  that,  to  the  untutored 
eye,  may  seem  of  one  color,  but  each  has  its  own  place 
in  the  picture  painted  by  the  hand  of  genius,  and  can  be 
supplanted  by  no  other.  Many  methods  have  been  sug- 
gested for  learning  these  fine  shades  of  meaning.  The 
study  of  Greek  and  Latin  has  been  urged  as  the  best  and 
almost  the  only  way : such  study  may  be  very  useful 
for  discipline,  and  will  give  much  elementary  knowledge 
of  the  laws  of  language:  but  the  man  who  knows  no 
other  tongue  than  his  own  need  not  consider  himself 
debarred  from  the  very  highest  place  as  a master  of 
words.  The  careful  study  of  a good  etymological  dic- 
tionary will,  in  time,  give  him  about  all  the  valuable 
infornirjtion  bearing  upon  this  subject  that  he  could 
obtain  from  the  study  of  many  languages.  In  general 
reading,  let  him  mark  every  word  he  does  not  perfectly 
understand,  and  from  the  dictionary  find  its  origin,  the 
meaning  of  its  roots,  and  its  varied  significations  at  the 
present  day.  This  will  make  the  word  as  familiar  as  an 
old  acquaintance,  and  when  he  meets  it  again  he  will 
notice  if  the  author  uses  it  correctly.  The  student  may 
not  be  able  to  examine  every  word  in  the  language,  but 
by  this  mode  he  will  be  led  to  think  of  the  meaning  of 
each  one  he  sees ; and  from  this  silent  practice  he  will  learn 


LANGTIAGB. 


69 


the  beauty  and  power  of  English  as  fully  as  if  he  sought 
it  through  the  literatures  of  Greece  and  Rome.  If  this 
habit  is  long  continued  it  will  cause  words  to  be  used 
correctly  in  thinking  as  well  as  in  speaking.  To  read  a 
dictionary  consecutively  and  carefully  (ignoring  the  old 
story  about  its  frequent  change  of  subject)  will  also  be 
found  very  profitable. 

Translating  from  any  language,  ancient  or  modern, 
will  have  just  the  same  tendency  to  teach  accurate  ex- 
pression as  careful  original  composition.  In  either  case 
the  improvement  comes  from  the  search  for  words  that 
exactly  convey  certain  ideas,  and  it  matters  not  what  the 
source  of  the  ideas  may  be.  The  use  of  a good  thesaurus, 
or  storehouse  of  words,  may  also  be  serviceable  by  show- 
ing in  one  view  all  the  words  that  relate  to  any  sutject. 

But  none  of  these  methods  will  greatly  increase/«enc?/. 
There  is  a practical  difference  between  merely  knowing 
a term  and  that  easy  use  of  it  which  only  habit  can  give. 
Elihu  Burritt,  with  his  knowledge  of  fifty  languages, 
has  often  been  surpassed  in  fluency,  force,  and  variety  of 
expression  by  an  unlettered  farmer,  because  the  few 
w ords  the  latter  knew  were  always  ready.  There  is  no 
way  to  increase  this  easy  and  fluent  use  of  language 
without  much  practice  in  utterance.  Where  and  how 
can  such  practice  be  obtained  ? 

Conversation  affords  an  excellent  means  for  this  kind 
of  improvement.  We  do  not  mean  the  running  fire  of 


70 


LANGUAGE. 


question  and  answer,  glancing  so  rapidly  back  and  forth 
as  to  allow  no  time  for  premeditating  or  explaining  any- 
thing, but  real  and  rational  talk — an  exchange  of 
thoughts  and  ideas  clearly  and  intelligibly  expressed.  i| 
The  man  who  engages  much  in  this  kind  of  con  versa- 
tion  can  scarcely  fail  to  become  an  adept  in  the  art  of  :| 
expressing  his  thoughts  in  appropriate  language.  Talk 
much  ; express  your  ideas  in  the  best  manner  possible ; [ 

if  difficult  at  first,  persevere,  and  it  will  become  easier. 
Thus  you  will  learn  eloquence  in  the  best  and  most 
pleasing  school.  The  common  conversational  style — 
that  in  which  man  deals  directly  with  his  fellow  man — 
is  the  germ  of  true  oratory.  It  may  be  amplified  and 
systematized ; but  talking  bears  to  eloquence  the  same 
relation  that  the  soil  does  to  the  tree  that  springs  out  of 
its  bosom. 

But  the  best  thoughts  of  men  and  the  noblest  expres- 
sions are  seldom  found  floating  on  the  sea  of  common 
talk.  To  drink  the  deepest  inspiration,  our  minds  must 
often  come  in  loving  communion  with  the  wise  and 
mighty  of  all  ages.  In  the  masterpieces  of  literature  we 
will  find  thought  knit  close  to  thought,^’  and,  what  is 
still  more  to  our  present  purpose,  words  so  applied  as  to 
breathe  and  live.  These  passages  should  be  read  until 
their  spirit  sinks  into  our  hearts  and  their  melody  rings 
like  a blissful  song  in  our  ears.  To  memorize  many 
such  passages  will  be  a profitable  employment.  The 


LANGUAGE. 


71 


words  of  which  such  masterpieces  are  composed,  with 
the  meanings  they  bear  in  their  several  places,  will  thus 
be  fixed  in  our  minds  ready  to  drop  on  our  tongues  when 
needed.  This  conning  of  beautiful  passages  is  not  now 
recommended  for  the  purpose  of  quotation,  although  they 
may  often  be  used  in  that  manner  to  good  advantage, 
but  simply  to  print  the  individual  words  with  their  sig- 
nification more  deeply  in  memory. 

This  may  be  effected,  also,  by  memorizing  selections 
from  our  own  best  writings.  What  is  thus  used  should 
be  highly  polished,  and  yet  preserve,  as  far  as  possible, 
the  natural  form  of  expression.  Carried  to  a moderate 
extent,  this  exercise  tends  to  elevate  the  character  of  our 
extemporaneous  efforts  by  erecting  a standard  that  is  our 
own,  and  therefore  suited  to  our  tastes  and  capacities ; 
but  if  made  habitual,  it  will  induce  a reliance  upon  the 
memory  rather  than  on  the  power  of  spontaneous  pro- 
duction, and  thus  destroy  the  faculty  it  was  designed  to 
cultivate. 

But  no  means  of  cultivating  fluency  in  language  can 
rival  extempore  speech  itself.  The  only  difficulty  is  to 
find  a sufficient  number  of  occasions  to  speak.  Long 
intervals  of  preparation  have  great  advantages  as  far  as 
the  gathering  of  material  for  discourse  is  concerned;  but 
they  have  disadvantages,  also,  which  can  only  be  over- 
come by  more  diligent  effort  in  other  directions. 

Clear  and  definite  ideas  greatly  increase  the  power  of 


72 


LANGUAGE. 


language.  When  a thought  is  fully  understood  it  falls 
into  words  as  naturally  as  a summer  cloud,  riven  by  the 
lightning,  dissolves  into  rain.  So  easy  is  it  to  express  a 
series  of  ideas,  completely  mastered,  that  a successful 
speaker  once  said,  It  is  a man’s  own  fault  if  he  ever 
fails.  Let  him  prepare  as  he  ought,  and  there  is  no 
danger.”  The  assertion  was  too  strong,  for  failure  may 
come  from  other  causes  than  a want  of  preparation.  Yet 
the  continuance  of  careful  drill,  in  connection  with  fre- 
quent speaking  and  close  preparation,  will  give  very 
great  ease  and  certainty  of  expression.  The  blind  but 
eloquent”  preacher,  Milburn,  says  that  he  gave  four  years 
of  his  life — ^the  time  spent  as  chaplain  at  Washington — 
to  acquire  the  power  of  speaking  correctly  and  easily 
without  the  previous  use  of  the  pen,  and  he  declares  that 
he  considers  the  time  Avell  spent.  His  style  is  diffuse, 
sparkling,  rhetorical,  the  most  difficult  to  acquire,  though 
not  by  any  means  the  most  valuable.  An  earnest,  ner- 
vous, and  yet  elegant  style  may  be  formed  by  those  who 
have  the  necessary  qualifications  in  much  shorter  time. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Imagination. 

Nothing-  adds  more  to  the  brilliancy  and  effectiveness 
of  oratory  than  the  royal  faculty  of  imagination.  This 
weird  and  glorious  power  deals  with  truth  as  well  as  fic- 
tion and  gives  to  its  fortunate  possessor  the  creative,  life- 
breathing spirit  of  poetry. 

Listen  to  the  description  of  natural  scenery  by  a per- 
son of  imagination,  and  afterward  by  another  destitute 
of  that  faculty!  Each  may  be  perfectly  accurate  and 
refer  to  the  same  objects,  even  enumerating  the  same 
particulars  in  the  same  order;  but  the  one  gives  a cata- 
logue, the  other  a picture.  In  relating  a story  or  enforc- 
ing an  argument,  the  same  difference  in  the  vividness  of 
impression  is  apparent. 

It  is  said  of  Henry  Ward  Beecher,  who  possesses  a 
strong  imagination,  that  the  people  would  listen  with 
delighted  attention  if  he  only  described  the  mode  in 
which  a potato  grew  ! He  would  see  a thousand  beauties 
in  its  budding  and  blossoming,  and  paint  the  picture  so 
vividly  as  to  command  universal  attention. 

The  Bible,  which  is  the  most  popular  of  all  books,  is 
pre-eminently  a book  of  imagination.  Nowhere  is  loftier 
beautiful  imagery  employed,  or  wrought  into 

73 


or  more 


74 


IMAGINATION. 


more  exquisite  forms.  A few  short  and  simple  words 
paint  pictures  that  the  world  looks  upon  with  astonish- 
ment from  age  to  age.  Paradise  Lost,  the  most  sublime 
imaginative  poem  in  the  language  of  man,  drew  much  of 
its  inspiration  from  a few  passages  in  Genesis.  Job  and 
Isaiah  are  without  rivals  in  the  power  of  picturing  by- 
means  of  words,  sublime  objects  beyond  the  grasp  of 
mortal  vision. 

While  illustrations  and  comparisons  flow  principally 
from  the  reasoning  faculties,  their  beauty  and  sparkle 
come  from  imagination.  Without  its  influence  these 
may  explain  and  simplify,  but  they  have  no  power  to 
interest  the  hearer  or  elevate  the  tenor  of  discourse. 

How  may  imagination  be  cultivated  ? It  is  said  that 
“ Poets  are  born,  not  made,”  but  the  foundation  of  every 
other  faculty  also  is  in  nature,  while  all  are  useless, 
unless  improved,  and  applied.  Imagination  will  increase 
in  vigor  and  activity  by  proper  use.  Its  function  is  to 
form  complete  mental  images  from  the  detached  mate- 
rials furnished  by  the  senses.  It  gathers  from  all 
sources  and  mixes  and  mingles  until  a picture  is  pro- 
duced. The  proper  way  to  cultivate  it  lies  in  forming 
abundance  of  just  such  pictures  and  in  finishing  them 
with  all  possible  care.  Let  the  orator,  on  the  canvas  of 
the  mind,  paint  in  full  size  and  perfect  coloring,  every 
part  of  his  speech  which  relates  to  material  or  visible 
things.  Illustrations  also  can  usnally  be  represented  in 


IMAGINATION. 


75 


picturesque  form.  We  do  not  now  speak  of  outward 
representation,  but  of  viewing  all  objects  in  clear  dis- 
tinctness, through  the  eye  of  the  mind.  It  is  not  enough 
for  the  speaker,  if  he  would  reach  the  highest  success,  to 
gather  all  the  facts  he  wishes  to  use,  to  arrange  them  in 
the  best  order,  or  even  to  premeditate  the  very  form  ot 
words.  Instead  of  the  latter  process,  he  may  more  pro- 
fitably strive  to  embrace  all  that  can  be  pictured  in  one 
mental  view.  If  he  can  summon  before  him  in  the 
moment  of  description  the  very  scenes  and  events  about 
which  he  is  discoursing,  and  behold  them  vividly  as  in  a 
waking  dream,  it  is  probable  that  his  auditors  will  see 
them  in  the  same  manner.  A large  part  of  all  discourses 
may  thus  be  made  pictorial.  In  Ivanhoe,  one  of  the 
characters  looks  out  through  a castle  window  and  describes 
to  a wounded  knight  within  the  events  of  the  assault  which 
was  being  made  upon  the  castle.  Any  person  could  describe 
the  most  stirring  scene  vividly  and  well  in  the  moment 
of  witnessing  it.  A strong  imagination  enables  a speaker 
or  poet  to  see  those  things  he  speaks  of  almost  as  accu- 
rately and  impressively  as  if  passing  before  his  bodily 
eyes,  and  often  with  far  more  brightness  of  color.  To 
make  the  effort  to  see  what  we  write  or  read  will  have 
a powerful  effect  in  improving  the  imaginative  faculty. 

Reading  and  carefully  pondering  the  works  of  those 
who  have  imagination  in  high  degree  will  also  be  help- 
ful. The  time  devoted  to  the  enjoyment  of  great  poems 


76 


IMAGINATION. 


is  not  lost  to  the  orator.  They  give  richness  and  tone  I 

to  his  mind,  introduce  him  into  scenes  of  ideal  beauty,  , 

and  furnish  him  with  many  a striking  thought  and  glow- 
ing image. 

Most  of  the  sciences  give  as  full  scope  to  imagination 
in  its  best  workings  as  poetry  itself.  Astronomy  and 
geology  are  pre-eminent  in  this  particular.  Every- 
thing about  them  is  grand.  They  deal  with  immense 
periods  of  time,  vast  magnitudes,  and  sublime  histories. 
Each  science  requires  the  formation  of  mental  images  and 
thus  gives  the  advantages  we  have  already  pointed  out. 

It  is  possible  for  a scientific  man  to  deal  exclusively  with  | 
the  shell  rather  than  the  substance  of  science,  with  its  | 
technical  names  and  definitions  rather  than  its  grand 
truths ; but  in  this  case  the  fault  is  with  himself  rather 
than  with  his  subject.  The  dryness  of  scientific  and  even 
mathematical  studies  relates  only  to  the  preliminary  de- 
partments. A philosopher  once  said  that  success  in  science 
and  in  poetry  depended  upon  the  same  faculties.  He  was 
very  nearly  right.  The  poet  is  a creator  who  forms  new 
worlds  of  his  own.  The  greatest  of  their  number  thus 
describes  the  process  by  which  imagination  performs  its 
magic. 

The  poet^s  eye,  in  a fine  frenzy  rolling. 

Doth  glance  from  heaven  to  earth,  from  earth  to  heaven ; 

And,  as  imagination  bodies  forth 

The  forms  of -things  unknown,  the  poet^s  pen 


IMAGINATION. 


77 


Turns  them  to  shapes  and  gives  to  airy  nothing 
A local  habitation  and  a name. 

Such  tricks  hath  strong  imagination.^^ 

Almost  the  same  result  must  be  reached  in  many  depart- 
ments of  science^  with  the  aid  of  only  a few  scattered  facts 
for  a basis.  The  geologist  has  some  broken  bones^  withered 
leaves^  and  fragments  of  rock,  from  which  to  reconstruct 
the  primitive  world.  From  the  half-dozen  facts  observed 
through  his  telescope,  the  astronomer  pictures  the  physi- 
cal condition  of  distant  planets.  In  every  science  the 
same  need  exists  for  imagination  in  its  highest,  most 
truthful  function,  and  the  same  opportunity  is,  therefore, 
afforded  for  its  cultivation. 

An  eminent  elocutionist  frequently  urged  his  classes  to 
employ  all  pauses  in  mentally  picturing  the  idea  contained 
in  the  coming  sentence.  He  declared  that  by  this  means 
the  expression  of  the  voice  was  rendered  more  rich  and 
true.  In  uttering  our  own  words  this  process  is  at  once 
more  easy  and  more  fruitful  in  varied  advantages. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Voice  and  Gestuke. 

Voice  and  gesture  form  the  immediate  link  between 
the  speaker  and  his  audience.  The  value  of  good  quality 
in  both  is  sometimes  over-estimated^  though  it  is  always 
considerable.  A good  voice,  well  managed,  gives  pow- 
erful and  vivid  expression  to  thought,  but  cannot  supply 
the  absence  of  it.  Neither  is  such  a voice  indispen- 
sable. Many  instances  of  high  success  against  vocal 
disadvantages  might  be  mentioned ; but  these  only  prove 
that  other  excellencies  may  atone  for  a single  defect. 
We  can  never  be  indifferent  to  the  charms  of  a good 
voice,  that  modulates  with  every  emotion  and  responds 
to  the  finest  shades  of  feeling.  It  has  much  of  the 
pleasing  quality  of  music. 

But  this  harmony  cannot  be  evoked  by  merely 
mechanical  training.  To  teach  the  pupil  just  what  note 
on  the  musical  scale  he  must  strike  to  express  a particular 
emotion,  how  much  of  an  inflection  must  be  used  to 
express  joy  or  sorrow,  and  how  many  notes  down  the 
scale  mark  a complete  suspension  of  sense,  is  absurd : 
speech  can  never  be  set  to  music. 

But  let  it  not  be  inferred  from  this  that  voice  cultiva- 
tion is  useless.  The  more  perfect  the  instrument  for  the 

78 


VOICE  AND  GESTUEE. 


79 


expression  of  thought  can  be  made^  the  better  it  will  be 
fitted  for  its  high  office.  An  orator  may  profitably  spend 
a little  time  daily  for  years  in  training  the  voice,  for  it 
is  a faculty  he  must  continually  employ,  and  none  is 
more  susceptible  of  improvement.  The  passion  evoked 
in  animated  speech  will  demand  for  its  adequate  expres- 
sion almost  every  note  and  key  within  the  compass  of 
the  voice;  and  unless  it  has  previously  been  trained  into 
strength  on  each  of  these,  it  will  fail  or  grow  weary. 
The  proper  kind  of  preparation  operates  by  exploring 
the  range  of  the  voice,  testing  its  capabilities,  and  im- 
proving each  tone.  This  work  is  not  imitative  or  slavish. 
It  is  only  like  putting  an  instrument  in  tune  before  be- 
ginning a musical  performance. 

To  give  full  elocutionary  instruction  here  wovild  be 
aside  from  our  purpose;  but  a few  useful  modes  of 
practice  may  be  pointed  out. 

Good  articulation  is  of  prime  importance.  Nothing 
will  contribute  more  to  secure  this  valuable  quality  than 
the  separation  of  words  into  their  elements  of  sound 
and  continued  practice  on  each  element  as  thus  isolated. 
Phonetic  shorthand  affords  a good  means  for  making 
such  analysis,  or  the  same  purpose  may  be  accomplished 
by  means  of  the  marks  of  pronunciation  found  in  any 
dictionary.  As  we  practice  these  elements  of  sound  we 
will  discover  the  exact  nature  of  any  defect  of  articulation 
we  may  suffer  from,  and  can  drill  upon  the  sounds  that 


80 


VOICE  AND  GESTURE. 


are  difficult  until  they  become  easy.  When  we  have  thus 
learned  to  pronounce  these  few  elements — not  much 


their  combinations^  we  have  mastered  the  alphabet  of  |i 
utterance.  It  will  also  contribute  greatly  to  strengthen 
the  voice  and  make  it  pliable,  if  we  continue  the  same 
practice  on  these  elements  at  different  degrees  of  elevation 
on  the  musical  scale  until  we  can  utter  each  one  in  full, 
round  distinctness,  at  any  pitch  from  the  deepest  bass  to 
the  shrillest  note  ever  used  in  speech.  This  will  bring 
all  varieties  of  modulation  within  easy  reach. 

Practice  on  these  elements  is  also  a very  effective  mode 
of  strengthening  weak  voices.  By  pronouncing  them 
one  by  one,  with  gradually  increasing  force,  the  degree 
of  loudness  we  can  attain  at  any  pitch,  will  be  greatly 
extended.  The  amount  of  improvement  that  may  be 
made  would  be  incredible  if  it  were  not  so  often  exem- 
plified. Every  teacher  of  elocution  can  testify  of  students, 
the  power  of  whose  voices  has  thus  been  multiplied  many 
fold;  and  almost  equal  advantages  may  be  reaped  in 
persevering  private  practice. 

Following  on  the  same  line,  we  may  learn  to  enunciate 
the  elements,  and  especially  the  short  vowels,  in  a quick, 
sharp  tone,  more  rapidly  than  the  ticking  of  a watch, 
and  with  the  clearness  of  a bell.  This  will  enable  the 
speaker  to  avoid  drawling,  and  be  very  fast  when  desir- 
ible,  without  falling  into  indistinctness.  Then,  by  an 


VOICE  AND  GESTUEE. 


81 


<$pposite  process,  other  sounds,  especially  the  long  vowels, 
may  be  prolonged  with  every  degree  of  force  from  the 
faintest  to  the  fullest.  Perseverance  in  these  two  exer- 
cises will  so  improve  the  voice  that  no  hall  will  be  too 
large  for  its  compass. 

The  differing  extension  of  sounds,  as  well  as  their 
pitch  and  variations  in  force,  constitute  the  perspective 
of  speech  and  give  it  an  agreeable  variety,  like  the 
mingling  of  light  and  shade  in  a well-executed  picture. 
The  opposite  of  this,  a dull,  dead  uniformity,  with 
each  word  uttered  in  the  same  key,  with  the  same  force, 
and  at  the  same  degree  of  speed,  becomes  well-nigh  un- 
bearable ; while  perpetual  modulation,  reflecting  in  each 
rise  and  fall,  each  storm  and  calm  of  sound,  the  living 
thought  within,  is  the  perfection  of  nature,  which  the 
best  art  can  only  copy. 

All  vocal  exercises  are  of  an  essentially  preparatory 
character.  In  the  moment  of  speech  details  may  safely 
be  left  to  the  impulse  of  nature.  Supply  the  capability 
by  previous  discipline,  and  then  allow  passion  to  clothe 
itself  in  the  most  natural  forms.  There  is  such  a vital 
connection  between  emotion  and  the  tones  of  voice,  that 
emphasis  and  inflection  will  be  as  spontaneous,  on  the 
part  of  the  disciplined  speaker,  as  breathing.  Rules 
remembered  in  the  act  of  speaking  tend  to  destroy  all 
life  and  freshness  of  utterance. 

When  bad  habits  have  been  corrected,  the  voice  made 


82 


VOICE  AND  GESTURE. 


supple  and  strong,  confidence  attained,  and  deep  feeling 
evoked  in  the  speaker’s  breast,  there  will  be  little  need 
to  care  for  the  minutiae  of  elocution.  The  child  that  is  | 
burnt  needs  no  instruction  in  the  mode  of  crying  ouh  | 
Let  nature  have  her  way,  untrammeled  by  art,  and  all  j 
feelings  will  dominate  the  voice  and  cause  every  hearer 
to  recognize  their  nature  and  participate  in  them.  In 
this  way  we  may  not  attain  the  brilliancy  of  theatric 
clap-trap,  but  we  will  be  able  to  give  the  touch  of 
nature  that  makes  the  whole  world  kin.” 

If  carefully  guarded,  the  faculty  of  imitation  may  be 
of  great  service  in  the  management  of  the  voice.  The 
sounds  that  express  sympathy  and  passion  are  heard 
everywhere,  forming  a medium  of  communication  more  | 
subtle  and  widespread  than  any  language  of  earth.  F rom 
the  example  of  great  orators  we  may  learn  what  true 
excellence  is,  and  become  able  to  reproduce  some,  at 
least,  of  their  effects.  It  would  be  hurtful  to  confine  our 
attention  too  long  to  one  model,  for  true  excellence  is 
many-sided,  and  if  we  continually  view  only  one  of  its^ 
phases  we  are  apt  to  fall  into  slavish  imitation — one  of 
the  greatest  of  all  vices.  By  having  many  examples  to 
look  upon,  and  using  them  only  to  elevate  our  own  ideal, 
we  will  escape  this  danger.  The  models  before  us  will 
urge  us  to  greater  exertions  and  the  whole  level  of  our 
attainments  be  raised. 

There  are  abundant  faults  to  mar  the  freedom  and 


VOICE  AND  GESTURE. 


8a 


naturalness  of  delivery^  and  the  speaker  who  would  be 
truly  natural  must  watch  diligently  for  them  and 
exterminate  them  without  mercy.  The  sing-song  tone, 
the  scream,  the  lisp,  the  gutteral  and  tremulous  tones, 
the  rhythmical  emphasis  which  falls  like  a trip-hammer 
at  measured  intervals,  are  specimens  of  common,  bad 
habits  that  should  be  weeded  out  as  fast  as  they  push 
through  the  soil;  and  if  the  speaker's  egotism  is  too  great  to 
see  them,  or  his  taste  not  pure  enough,  some  friend  should 
point  them  out.  Even  the  advice  of  an  enemy  conveyed  in 
the  unpleasant  form  of  sarcasm  and  ridicule  may  be  profit- 
ably used  for  the  purpose  of  reform  and  improvement. 

Should  a conversational  tone  be  employed  in  speak- 
ing ? This  question  has  often  been  asked,  and  much  dif- 
ference of  opinion  evoked,  but  it  may  be  satisfactorily 
answered.  The  language  of  conversation  is  the  language 
of  nature  in  its  most  unfettered  form,  and  it  should, 
therefore,  be  the  basis  of  all  speech.  The  same  variety 
and  character  of  intonations  used  in  it  should  be 
employed  in  every  variety  of  oratory.  But  conversa- 
tion itself  varies  widely  with  varying  circumstances. 
The  man  talking  with  a friend  across  a river  will  speak 
less  rapidly  but  more  loudly  than  if  he  held  that  friend 
by  the  hand.  In  speaking  to  a number  at  once,  the 
orator  must,  in  order  to  be  heard,  speak  more  forcibly 
and  distinctly  than  in  addressing  one  only.  With  this 
explanation,  it  may  be  laid  down  as  a safe  rule  that  a 


84  VOICE  AND  OESTURE. 

speech  should  begin  in  a conversational  manner.  But 
should  it  continue  in  the  same  way  ? A deep^  full  tone 

the  orotund  of  the  elocutionist—  will  make  a stronger 

impression  than  a shrill,  feeble  utterance.  And  as  con- 
versation becomes  earnest  even  between  two  persons, 
there  is  the  tendency  to  stronger  and  more  impressive  | 
tones.  This  same  tendency  will  be  a sufficient  guide  in 
speech.  A trained  man  giving  utterance  to  a well-pre- 
pared speech,  upon  a theme  which  appeals  to  his  own 
emotions,  will  adopt  those  oratorical  tones  which  form  a 
proper  medium  for  eloquence,  without  a single  thought 
given  to  that  subject  during  the  moment  of  delivery. 
Begin  as  a man  who  is  talking  to  a number  of  his  friends 
upon  an  interesting  subject ; then,  as  the  interest  deepens, 
let  go  all  restraint.  As  passion  rises  like  an  inflowing 
tide,  the  voice  will  be  so  'fully  possessed  by  it  and  so 
filled  out  and  strengthened  as  to  produce  all  the  effect 
of  which  its  compass  is  capable.  It  will  deepen  into  the 
thunder  roll  when  that  is  needed,  and  at  the  right  time 
will  grow  soft  and  pathetic. 

But  above  almost  every  other  error  that  the  speaker 
can  commit,  beware  of  thinking  that  you  must  be  loud 
in  order  to  be  impressive.  Nothing  is  more  disgusting 
than  that  interminable  roar,  beginning  with  a shout,  and 
continuing  to  split  the  speaker’s  throat  and  the  hearer’s 
ears  all  through  the  discourse.  This  fault  is  not  uncom- 
mon in  the  pulpit,  especially  among  those  who  desire  a 


VOICE  AND  GESTURE. 


85 


reputation  for  extraordinary  fervor  and  earnestness. 
But  it  is  the  worst  kind  of  monotony.  The  loudness  of 
tone,  that  applied  at  the  right  place  would  be  overpower- 
ing, loses  all  power  except  to  disgust  and  weary  an  audi- 
ence. It  expresses  no  more  thought  or  sentiment  than 
the  lashing  of  ocean  waves  conveys  to  the  storm-tossed 
mariner.  Have  something  to  say;  keep  the  fires  of 


passion  burning  in  your  own  soul;dearh  tlic^re^l  strength 
there  is  in  the  reserve  of  power;  and  'the  Cultivated  ^j^^oice 
will  not  fail  in  its  only  legitiina^^  hffiC'e-^t]|at  W nlakitig 
the  clear  and  adequate  impression  of  your  thoughts’  'Md 


emotions  upon  the  souls  of  other^c ® 

Elocutionary  manuals  properly  devote  much  space  to 
the  consideration  of  gesture,  for  the  eye  should  be 
addressed  and  pleased  as  well  as  the  ear.  But  we  doubt 
whether  the  marking  out  of  special  gestures  to  be  imi- 
tated can  do  much  good.  A few  broad  principles  like 
those  formulated  by  the  celebrated  French  teacher,  Del- 
sarte,  may  be  profitably  studied  and  made  familiar  by 
practice  upon  a few  simple  selections.  After  that  the 
principal  use  of  training  is  to  give  confidence  so  that  the 
speaker  may  be  in  the  full  possession  and  instinctive  use 
of  all  his  powers.  Fear  often  freezes  the  speaker  into 
ice-like  rigidity;  and  hearers  are  apt  to  feel  the  same 
deadly  chill  when  listening  to  some  one  Avhose  dominat- 
ing sentiment  is  the  fear  that  he  may  do  something  ridicu- 
lous, or  fail  to  win  their  favor. 


86  VOICE  AND  GESTURE. 

The  secondary  use  of  training  in  gesture  is  to  discard 
awkward  and  repulsive  movements.  Timidity  and  fear  j 
may  be  overcome  by  a firm  resolution^  and  the  object  is 
well  worth  the  effort.  Bad  or  ungraceful  actions  are  far 
better  in  the  case  of  a beginner  than  no  action  at  all. 
The  saying  of  Demosthenes^  that  the  first,  the  second, 
and  the  third  need  of  an  orator  is  action/^  does  not 
fully*  apply  to  ,the.  modern  speaker.  He  needs  many 
things."m^t^>urgCntiy"than  action,  even  when  that  word 
isrtaken  mits^wide^t;^n;s@.  * But  action  is  important,  and 
when  graceful  and^  expressive,  it  does  powerfully  tend  to 
arrest  attention;  knd  bven  to  help  the  processes  of  thought 
on  the  part  of  the  speaker  himself.  We  have  heard  sev- 
eral eloquent  men  who  scarcely  moved  during  the 
delivery  of  an  address,  but  never  without  feeling  that 
good  gesticulation  would  have  been  a great  addition  to 
their  power.  It  is  unnatural  to  speak  for  any  consider- 
able period  of  time  without  moving.  None  but  a lazy, 
sick,  or  bashful  man  will  do  it.  Let  the  laziness  be 
shaken  off,  the  sickness  cured,  and  the  bashfulness 
reserved  for  a more  fitting  occasion  ! A man  who  is  too 
bashful  and  diffident  to  move  hand,  head,  or  foot  in  the 
presence  of  an  audience  should  in  consistency  refuse  to 
monopolize  their  time  at  all ! 

Practice  will  usually  overcome  this  fault.  When  a 
man  has  stood  a great  many  times  before  an  audience 
without  receiving  any  serious  injury,  and  has  a good 


VOICE  AND  GESTUEE. 


87 


purpose  in  thus  claiming  their  attention,  and  something 
which  he  thinks  they  ought  to  hear,  he  will  forget  his 
fears  and  allow  his  mind  to  be  engrossed,  as  that  of  a 
true  speaker  should  be,  with  the  subject  he  has  in  hand. 
Then  all  his  gestures  will  have  at  least  the  grace  of  uncon- 
scious and  spontaneous  origination. 

But  when  fear  has  been  overcome  so  that  the  speaker 
is  not  afraid  to  use  his  hands,  he  needs  to  enter  upon  a 
determined  and  comprehensive  campaign  against  bad 
habits.  If  anything  is  truly  natural — that  is,  true  to 
the  higher  or  universal  nature — it  will  be  beautiful ; but 
early  examples  are  so  often  wrong  and  corrupting  that 
it  is  hard  to  say  what  nature  is : Nature  may  be  a bad 
nature — the  reflection  of  all  that  is  low  and  sordid  as 
well  as  that  which  is  high  and  ennobling.  That  nature 
which  is  in  harmony  with  the  sum  of  all  things,  which 
is  the  image  of  the  Creator’s  perffectness,  must  be  right 
and  good ; but  we  must  not  too  hastily  conclude  that  any 
habits  of  our  own  have  this  high  and  unquestionable 
source.  Hardly  a speaker  lives  who  does  not  at  some 
time  fall  into  unsightly  or  ridiculous  habits.  The  dif- 
ference between  men  in  this  respect  is  that  some  steadily 
accumulate  all  the  faults  they  ever  have  contracted,  until 
the  result  is  most  repulsive  5 while  others,  from  the  warn- 
ings of  friends  or  their  own  observation,  discover  their 
errors  and  cast  them  off 

A mode  by  which  the  solitary  student  may  become 


88 


VOICE  AND  GESTUEE. 


acquainted  with  his  faults,  and  from  which  he  should  not 
be  driven  by  foolish  ridicule,  is  by  declaiming  in  as  , 
natural  and  forcible  a manner  as  possible  before  a large 
mirror.  Thus  we  may  see  ourselves  as  others  see  us.^^  I 
Repeated  practice  in  this  manner  will  enable  you  to  keep 
the  necessary  watch  upon  your  motions,  without  so  much 
distracting  attention  as  to  make  the  exercise  before  the 
glass  no  trustworthy  specimen  of  ordinary  habits.  In 
speaking,  you  hear  your  own  voice  and  thus  become  sen-  | 
sible  of  audible  errors,  but  the  glass  is  required  to  show  j 
improper  movements  that  may  have  been  unconsciously  | 
contracted.  It  is  not  advised  that  each  speech,  before  | 
delivery,  should  be  practiced  in  front  of  the  mirror.  It  ! 
is  doubtful  if  such  practice  would  not  cherish  a self- 
consciousness  worse  than  all  the  errors  it  corrected.  But 
the  same  objection  would  not  apply  to  occasional  decla- 
mations made  for  the  very  purpose  of  self-criticism. 

By  these  two  processes — pressing  out  into  action  as 
freely  as  possible  under  the  impulse  of  deep  feeling,  and 
by  lopping  off  everything  that  is  not  graceful  and  ef- 
fective— ^we  may  soon  attain  a good  style  of  gesture. 
When  the  habit  of  suiting  the  action  to  the  word  is  once 
fully  formed,  all  anxiety  on  that  subject  may  be  dis- 
missed. The  best  gesticulation  is  entirely  unconsciouSo 


CHAPTEK  X. 


CONFIDENCfE. 

How  may  that  boldness  and  confidence  which  is  indis- 
pensable to  an  orator  best  be  acquired?  On  your  success 
ill  this  direction^  hinges  all  other  kinds  of  improvement. 
So  long  as  a nervous  dread  hangs  about  you,  it  will  make 
the  practice  of  extemporaneous  speech  painful  and  repul- 
sive, paralyzing  all  your  faculties  in  the  moment  of 
utterance. 

You  must  acquire  confidence  in  your  own  powers 
and  be  willing  to  trust  to  their  guidance. 

But  it  is  not  necessary  that  you  should  exhibit  or 
even  feel  this  confidence  at  the  beginning  of  a speech,  for 
it  may  then  appear  like  boastfulness  or  egotism.  It  is 
enough  if  you  then  have  confidence  in  your  subject,  and 
in  the  fullness  of  your  preparation.  You  may  then  with- 
out injury  wish  that  some  one,  that  you  imagine  more 
worthy,  stood  in  your  place.  But  if  this  feeling  con- 
tinues all  through  the  address,  failure  is  inevitable.  Many 
a man  begins  while  trembling  in  every  limb,  especially 
if  the  occasion  be  of  unusual  character,  but  soon  becomes 
inspired  with  his  theme  and  forgets  all  anxiety.  If  youjr 
fear  be  greater  and  more  persistent,  keeping  you  in  per- 
petual terror,  it  will  destroy  all  liberty  and  eloquence. 

89 


90 


CONFIDENCE. 


When  laboring  under  such  an  influence,  you  lose  self-pos 
session,  become  confused,  all  interest  evaporates  from  your 
most  carefully  prepared  thoughts,  and  you  sit  down  at 
length,  convinced  that  you  have  failed.  It  is  but  little 
consolation  to  believe  that  you  had  all  the  time  in  your 
brain  the  necessary  power  and  material  to  achieve  splen- 
did success,  if  you  had  but  possessed  the  courage  to  use  it 
aright. 

There  is  no  remedy  for  fear  more  effectual  than  to  do  I 
all  our  work  under  the  immediate  inspiration  of  duty.  | 
This  feeling  is  not  the  privilege  of  the  minister  alone,  | 
but  of  each  one  who  is  conscious  that  he  occupies  the  place 
where  he  stands  because  it  is  his  right  to  be  there,  be- 
cause he  has  some  information  to  give,  some  cause  to 
advocate,  or  some  important  task  to  do.  With  such 
consciousness  we  can  speak  our  best,  and  finish  with 
the  satisfaction  of  having  done  our  work  as  truly  as  if 
we  had  performed  duty  placed  upon  us  in  any  other 
department  of  labor.  But  if  we  aim  simply  at  making 
an  exhibition  of  self  and  of  showing  our  own  skill  and 
eloquence,  then  the  smiles  and  frowns  of  the  audience 
becomes  a matter  of  overwhelming  importance,  and  if 
we  fail  we  are  deeply  mortified  and  bewail  our  foolish- 
ness in  exposing  ourselves  to  such  needless  risk. 

The  lack  of  proper  confidence  is  the  great  reason  for 
using  manuscript  in  the  moment  of  speech.  The  speaker 
makes  one  effort  to  extemporize  and  fails.  This  is  not 


confidence. 


$1 


wonderful,  for  the  path  to  success  usually  lies  through 
failure  from  the  time  that  we  master  the  wonderful  art 
of  walking  through  many  failures  j but  instead  of  copying 
the  school-boy  motto,  “try,  try  again,”  and  reaping  wis- 
dom and  experience  from  past  efforts,  he  loses  all  hope— 
concludes  that  he  is  disqualified  for  that  kind  of  work, 
and  thus  sinks  to  mediocrity  and  tameness,  when  he 
mio-ht  have  been  brilliant  in  the  fields  of  true  oratory. 

The  exhibition  of  confidence  and  resolution  by  the 
speaker  is  a draft  drawn  on  the  respect  of  an  audience 
which  is  nearly  always  honored,  while  the  opposite 
qualities  hide  the  possession  of  real  talent.  Hearers 
readily  pardon  timidity  at  the  beginning  of  an  address, 
for  then  attention  is  fixed  upon  the  speaker  himself,  and 
his  shrinking  seems  a graceful  exhibition  of  modesty. 
But  when  he  has  fully  placed  his  subject  before  them 
they  associate  him  with  it.  If  he  is  dignified  and 
assured,  they  listen  in  pleased  attention  and  acknowledge 
the  weight  of  his  words.  These  qualities  are  very  difi* 
ferent  from  bluster  and  bravado,  which  injure  the  cause 
advocated  and  excite  disgust  toward  the  speaker.  The 
first  appears  to  arise  from  a sense  of  the  dignity  of  the 
subject;  the  second,  from  an  assumption  of  personal 
superiority — an  opinion  no  speaker  has  a right  to  enter- 
tain, for  in  the  very  act  of  addressing  an  audience  he 
constitutes  them  his  judges. 

An  orator  needs  confidence  in  his  own  powers  in  order 


92 


CONFIDENCE. 


to  avail  himself  fully  of  the  suggestions  of  the  moment. 
Some  of  the  best  thoughts  he  will  ever  think  flash  upon 
him  while  speaking,  and  are  out  of  the  line  of  his  prep-  ! 
aration.  There  is  no  time  to  carefully  weigh  them.  He  | 
must  reject  them  immediately  or  begin  to  follow,  not 
knowing  whither  they  lead,  and  this  in  audible  words,  j' 
with  the  risk  that  he  may  be  landed  in  some  absurdity.  j| 
He  cannot  pause  for  a moment,  as  the  least  hesitation 
breaks  the  spell  he  has  woven  around  his  hearers,  while  | 
if  he  rejects  the  oflered  idea  he  may  lose  a genuine  inspi- 
ration. One  searching  glance  that  will  not  allow  time  i 
for  his  own  feelings  or  those  of  his  auditors  to  cool,  and  | 
then — decision  to  reject,  or  to  follow  the  new  track  with  j 
the  same  assurance  as  if  the  end  were  clearly  in  view — |i 
this  is  all  that  is  possible.  It  requires  some  boldness  to 
pursue  the  latter  course,  and  yet  every  speaker  knows  ' 
that  his  highest  efforts — efforts  that  have  seemed  beyond 
his  normal  power,  and  which  have  done  more  in  a ! 
minute  to  gain  the  object  for  which  he  spoke  than  all 
the  remainder  of  the  discourse — have  been  of  this  I 
character.  | 

It  also  requires  a good  degree  of  confidence  to  firmly  | 
begin  a sentence,  even  when  the  general  idea  is  plain, 
without  knowing  just  how  it  will  end.  This  difficulty 
is  experienced  sometimes  even  by  the  most  fluent.  A 
tnan  may  learn  to  cast  sentences  very  rapidly,  but  it  will 
take  a little  time  to  pass  them  through  his  mind,  and 


CONFIDENCE. 


93 


when  one  is  finished,  the  next  may  not  yet  have  fully 
condensed  itself  into  words.  To  begin  to  utter  a partially 
constructed  sentence,  uncertain  how  it  will  end^  and  press 
on  without  letting  the  people  see  any  hesitation,  demands 
no  small  confidence  in  one’s  power  of  commanding  words 
and  framing  sentences.  Yet  a bold  and  confident  speaker 
need  feel  no  uneasiness.  He  may  prolong  a pause  while 
he  is  thinking  of  a needed  word,  or  throw  in  something 
extraneous  to  fill  up  the  time  till  the  right  term  and  con- 
struction are  found.  Yet  the  perfect  remedy  for  these 
dangers  is  to  learn  the  difficult  art  of  standing  before  an 
audience  with  nothing  to  say  and  making  the  pause  as 
effective  as  any  phase  of  speech.  This  can  be  done,  dan- 
gerous as  it  seems.  It  does  require  far  more  of  courage 
to  face  an  audience  when  the  mouth  is  empty  than  when 
we  are  talking  ; the  mettle  of  troops  is  never  so  severely 
tried  as  when  their  cartridge-boxes  are  empty ; but  all 
the  resources  of  eloquence  are  not  at  command  until  this 
test  can  be  calmly  and  successfully  endured.  An  eminent 
speaker  once  said  to  a friend  after  a very  successful 
effort,  What  part  of  the  address  you  have  been  prais- 
ing most  impressed  you  ?”  It  was  not  anything  you 
saidj^  was  the  reply,  but  the  thrilling  pause  you  made 
of  nearly  half  a minute  after  a bold  assertion,  as  if  you 
were  challenging  any  one  to  rise  and  deny  what  you  had 
asserted.”  ‘‘  Oh  ! I remember,”  returned  the  other ; I 
could  not  get  the  next  sentence  fixed  quite  right,  and  was 


94 


CONFIDENCE. 


fully  determined  not  to  say  it  at  all  unless  it  came  into  i 
the  proper  shape.^^ 

This  necessary  confidence  can  be  cultivated  by  striving  i 
to  exercise  it,  and  by  assuming  its  appearance  where  the 
reality  is  not.  The  raw  recruit  is  transformed  into  a | 
veteran  soldier  by  meeting  and  overcoming  danger.  All 
the  drill  in  the  world  will  not  supply  the  want  of  actual 
experience  on  the  battle-field.  So  the  extempore  speaker 
must  make  up  his  mind  to  accept  all  the  risk,  and 
patiently  endure  all  the  failures  and  perils  that  result. 
If  he  fully  decides  that  the  reward  is  Avorthy  of  the 
effort  he  will  be  greatly  aided  in  the  attempt,  as  he  will 
thus  avoid  the  Avavering  and  shrinking  and  questioning 
that  would  otherwise  distress  him  and  paralyze  his  poAV- 
ers.  A failure  will  but  lead  to  stronger  and  more  per- 
sistent effort,  made  with  added  experience.  Success  Avill 
be  an  argument  for  future  confidence,  and  thus  any 
result  will  forward  him  on  his  course. 

In  regard  to  the  difficulty  of  framing  sentences  in 
the  moment  of  utterance,  the  experienced  speaker  will 
become  so  expert,  having  found  his  Avay  through  so 
many  difficulties  of  that  kind,  that  the  greatest  danger 
experienced  will  be  that  of  carelessly  alloAving  his  Avords 
to  floAV  on  without  unity  or  polish.  It  does  require  a 
determined  effort,  not  merely  to  express  meaning,  but  to 
pack  and  compress  the  greatest  possible  amount  into 
striking  and  crystalline  words.  Experience  also  gives 


CONFIDENCE. 


95 


him  such  a knowledge  of  the  working  of  his  own 
thoughts  that  he  will  be  able  to  decide  at  the  first  sug- 
gestion what  unbidden  ideas  should  be  accepted  and  what 
ones  should  be  rejected.  If  these  new  thoughts,  how- 
ever far  outside  of  his  preparation,  seem  worthy,  he  will 
give  them  instant  expression;  if  not,  he  will  dismiss 
them  and  continue  unchecked  along  his  intended  route. 

It  is  hoped  that  the  reading  of  this  treatise  will  in- 
crease the  confidence  of  extempore  speakers  in  two  ways ; 
first,  by  producing  in  the  mind  of  each  one  perfect  con- 
viction that  for  him  the  better  way  is  to  adopt  unwritten 
speech  without  reserve ; and  second,  by  pointing  out  a 
mode  of  preparation  which  will  give  as  good  ground  for 
confidence  as  a fully  written  manuscript  could  possibly 
supply.  To  gain  confidence  which  is  not  warranted  by 
the  event  Avould  only  provoke  a hurtful  reaction ; but 
confidence  Avhich  is  justified  by  experience  grows  ever 
stronger. 

We  have  thus  glanced  at  a few  of  the  qualities  which 
need  to  be  cultivated  and  strengthened  for  the  purposes 
of  public  speech.  The  survey  does  not  cover  the  whole 
field  of  desirable  qualities,  for  this  would  be  to  give  a 
treatise  on  general  education.  Perfect  speech  requires 
every  faculty  of  the  mind  to  be  brought  to  the  highest 
state  of  efficiency.  There  is  no  mental  power  which  will 
■ not  contribute  to  success.  The  whole  limits  of  possible 
education  are  comprised  in  the  two  branches  already  meH' 


96 


CONFIDENCE. 


tioned  as  concerning  the  orator — those  relating  to  the 
reception  of  knowledge  and  those  to  its  communication. 
The  harmonious  combination  and  perfect  development 
of  these  two  is  the  ideal  of  excellence — an  ideal  so  high 
that  it  can  only  be  approached.  All  knowledge  is  of  use 
to  the  orator.  He  may  not  have  occasion  to  employ  it 
in  a particular  speech,  but  it  contributes  to  give  certainty, 
breadth,  and  scope  to  his  views,  and  assures  him  that 
what  he  does  put  into  his  speeches  is  the  best  that  can 
be  selected.  If  he  is  ignorant,  he  is  obliged  to  use  for  a 
discourse  on  any  subject  not  that  material  which  is  the 
best  in  itself,  but  simply  the  best  that  may  happen  to  be 
known  to  him,  and  he  cannot  be  sure  that  something  far 
more  suitable  is  not  overlooked. 

The  communicating  faculties  are,  if  possible,  still  more 
important.  A great  part  of  the  value  even  of  a diamond 
depends  upon  its  polish  and  setting,  and  the  richest  and 
wisest  thoughts  fail  to  reach  the  heart  or  captivate  the 
intellect  unless  they  are  cast  into  the  proper  form,  ano' 
given  external  beauty. 

Let  the  speaker,  then,  have  no  fear  of  knowing  too 
much.  Neither  need  he  despair  if  he  does  not  now  know 
a great  deal.  He  cannot  be  perfect  at  once,  but  must 
build  for  future  years.  If  he  wishes  a sudden  and  local 
celebrity  that  will  never  widen,  but  will  probably  molder 
away  even  in  his  own  lifetime,  he  may  possibly  gain  it  in 
another  way.  Let  him  learn  a few  of  the  externals  of  elo- 


CONFIDENCE. 


97 


cution,  and  then,  with  great  care,  or  by  the  free  use  of  the 
materials  of  others,  prepare  a few  finely  worded  dis- 
courses, and  recite  or  declaim  them  over  and  over  again 
as  often  as  he  can  find  a new  audience.  He  may  not 
gain  as  much  applause  as  he  desires  by  this  method, 
but  it  will  be  sufficiently  evanescent.  He  will  not  grow 
up  to  the  measure  of  real  greatness,  but  become  daily 
more  dwarfed  and  stereotyped  in  intellect. 

The  following  quotation  contains  a good  example  of 
the  seductive  but  misleading  methods  sometimes  held  up 
before  the  young  orator : They  talk,’^  said  Tom  Mar- 

shall to  an  intimate  friend,  of  my  astonishing  bursts 
of  eloquence,  and  doubtless  imagine  it  is  my  genius  bub- 
bling over.  It  is  nothing  of  the  sort.  Ifil  tell  you  how 
I do  it : I select  a subject  and  study  it  from  the  ground 
up.  When  I have  mastered  it  fully,  I write  a speech 
on  it.  Then  I take  a walk  and  come  back,  and  revise 
and  correct.  In  a few  days  I subject  it  to  another 
pruning,  and  then  recopy  it.  Next  I add  the  finishing 
touches,  round  it  off  with  graceful  periods,  and  commit 
it  to  memory.  Then  I speak  it  in  the  fields,  in  my 
father’s  lawn,  and  before  my  mirror,  until  gesture  and 
delivery  are  perfect.  It  sometimes  takes  me  six  weeks 
or  two  months  to  get  up  a speech.  When  I am  prepared 
I come  to  town.  I generally  select  a court  day,  when 
there  is  sure  to  be  a crowd.  I am  called  on  fora  speech, 
and  am  permitted  to  select  my  own  subject.  I speak  my 


98 


CONFIDENCE. 


piece.  It  astonishes  the  people,  as  I intended  it  should,  |! 
and  they  go  away  marveling  at  my  power  of  oratory.  j 
They  call  it  genius,  but  it  is  the  hardest  kind  of  work.^^  : 
No  objection  is  made  to  the  quantity  of  work  thus 
described,  but  might  not  the  same  amount  be  expended 
in  more  profitable  directions  ? A speech  thus  prepared 
was  a mere  trick  intended  to  astonish  the  people.  Some- 
times the  great  Daniel  Webster  took  equal  pains  in  the 
verbal  expression  of  some  worthy  thought,  which  was 
afterward  held  in  the  grasp  of  a powerful  memory  until 
a fitting  place  was  found  for  it  in  some  masterly  speech- 
The  difference  between  the  two  processes  is  greater  tlian 
seems  at  first  glance.  MarshalFs  plan  was  like  a beau- 
tiful garment  thrown  over  a clothes  dummy  in  a shop 
window;  Webster^s,  like  the  same  garment,  worn  for 
comfort  and  ornament  by  a living  man. 

It  is  better  that  the  speaker  should  intermeddle  with 
all  knowledge,^^  and  make  the  means  of  communicating 
his  thoughts  as  perfect  as  possible.  Then  out  of  the 
fullness  of  his  treasure,  let  him  talk  to  the  people  with 
an  adequate  purpose  in  view,  and  if  no  sudden  acclaim 
greets  him,  he  will  be  weighty  and  influential  from  the 
fii’st,  and  each  passing  year  will  add  to  his  power. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

The  Pen  and  the  Tongue. 

It  does  not  follow  from  anything  we  have  said  that 
the  pen  should  be  discarded  by  the  extempore  speaker. 
Because  he  is  not  obliged  to  write  each  word,  he  should 
not  feel  excused  from  writing  altogether.  Few  greater 
misfortunes  could  happen  to  a speaker  than  being 
deprived  of  the  power  of  recording  and  preserving  notes 
for  the  purposes  of  oratory.  The  most  tenacious  mem- 
ory is  burdened  by  the  weight  of  a large  number  of 
intended  discourses,  especially  if  they  are  long  and  com- 
plex. No  person  can  feel  sure  that  he  will  remember 
all  parts  of  the  speech  he  intended  to  utter  even  in  out- 
line, unless  it  has  been  reduced  to  regular  form  so  that 
one  part  will  suggest  another.  In  going  to  a store  to 
purchase  a few  articles  the  pen  is  very  useful  in  making 
a memorandum ; if  the  errand  boy  neglects  that  precau- 
tion some  of  the  most  essential  things  may  be  forgotten. 
Among  illiterate  people  a great  many  mnemonic  signs 
j have  been  employed,  such  as  associating  things  to  be 
remembered  with  the  fingers,  etc. ; but  among  intelligent 
persons  all  of  these  have  been  superseded  by  the  use  of 
writing,  and  it  would  be  very  absurd  to  advocate  a 
return  to  the  old  modes  on  the  plea  that  the  memory 

99 


100  THE  PEN  AND  THE  TONGUE.  i 

might  be  so  strengthened  that  all  items  could  be  safely  I 
remembered.  The  reply  would  be  ready : Yes,  it  is  i 

possible ; but  we  have  a far  better  and  less  burdensome  ' 
way  of  accomplishing  the  same  object  and  have  no  ; 
motive  in  returning  to  the  more  difficult  motle.”  Thus 
while  it  may  be  possible  to  arrange  in  the  mind  all  the  : 
outlines  of  a long  discourse,  it  is  not  easy  to  do  it,  and  j 
there  is  no  gain  in  the  extra  labor  involved.  Everything 
bearing  upon  a discourse  may  be  written  in  brief  outline,  | 
and  then  a selection  made  of  what  is  best,  throwing  out 
all  other  portions.  The  remainder  can  then  be  far  bet-  l 
ter  arranged  when  in  such  a position  that  the  eye  as  well  | 
as  the  mind  can  glance  at  it.  The  preparation  for  the  j 
intended  speech  thus  assumes  the  shape  of  a miniature 
or  outline,  and  may  be  filled  out  at  any  point  which  , 

j 

needs  strengthening. 

But  even  if  it  were  possible  to  construct  the  plan  and 
speak  well  without  any  previous  use  of  the  pen,  this 
would,  in  the  majority  of  cases,  be  insufficient.  The 
orator  needs  to  preserve  the  materials,  if  not  the  form  of 
his  oration,  either  for  use  in  future  speeches  or  for  com- 
parison with  later  efforts.  It  is  very  wasteful  to  throw 
away  valuable  material  once  accumulated,  and  then 
search  the  same  ground  over  again  when  required  to 
treat  the  same  topic.  This  would  be  acting  in  the  spirit  of 
the  savage  who  eats  enough  to  satisfy  his  appetite  and 
throws  away  all  that  remains,  as  he  feels  no  further  need 


THE  PEN  AND  THE  TONGUE.  101 

for  it,  and  only  begins  to  gather  again  when  hunger 
spurs  him  to  exertion. 

The  pen  is  the  instrument  of  accumulation  and  pres- 
ervation,  and  should  be  diligently  employed.  No  speaker 
can  rise  to  permanent  greatness  without  it.  The  in- 
stances given  to  the  contrary  are  mere  delusions  oi 
evasions.  If  the  service  of  other  pens  can  be  em- 
ployed, as  in  the  case  of  short-hand  reporters  and 
amanuenses,  this  is  but  doing  the  same  tiling  under 
another  form. 

The  principal  purpose  of  the  chapters  that  follow 
is  to  show  how  the  pen  may  be  used  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  preserve  and  arrange  all  the  material  we 
may  gather,  elaborate,  or  originate  on  any  subject, 
so  as  to  bring  to  the  moment  of  unfettered  extempore 
speech  all  the  certainty  of  result  and  accumulated  power 
of  which  our  faculties  are  capable. 

Bacon  says : Reading  makes  a full  man,  writing  an 

exact  man,  and  conference  a ready  man.^’  All  these 
means  should  be  used  and  all  these  (qualities  attained  by 
the  elocjuent  speaker. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Subject  and  Object. 

We  now  enter  upon  the  most  practical  part  of  our 
subject.  We  have  seen  what  natural  qualities  are  indis- 
pensable, and  how  these,  when  possessed,  can  be  improved 
by  training.  The  importance  of  a wide  scope  of  knowl- 
edge bearing  upon  oratory,  and  of  understanding  and 
having  some  command  of  the  powers  of  language  has 
been  pointed  out.  When  a man  has  all  of  these,  and  is 
still  a diligent  student  growing  daily  in  knowledge,  he 
is  ready  to  consider  the  methods  by  which  all  his  gifts 
and  acquirements  may  be  concentrated  upon  a single 
speech.  Some  of  the  directions  in  this  and  the  imme- 
diately succeeding  chapters  are  of  universal  application, 
while  others  are  thrown  out  as  mere  suggestions  to  be 
modified  and  changed  according  to  individual  taste  or 
particular  circumstances. 

A plan  is  necessary  for  every  kind  of  speech.  A rude 
mass  of  brick,  lumber,  mortar,  and  iron,  thrown  together 
as  the  materials  chance  to  be  furnished,  does  not  consti- 
tute a house  until  each  item  is  built  into  its  own  place 
according  to  some  intelligent  design.  A speech  has  the 
same  need  of  organization.  A few  minutes  of  desultory 
talk,  whether  uttered  in  a low  or  high  voice,  to  one  per- 

102 


SUBJECT  AND  OBJECT. 


103 


BOD  or  to  D)any,  does  not  make  a speech.  The  talk  may  be 
good,  or  useful,  or  striking : it  may  be  replete  with  spark- 
ling imagery,  and  full  of  valuable  ideas  that  command 
attention,  and  yet  be  no  real  discourse.  The  question, 

“ What  was  all  this  about  ? what  end  did  the  speaker  have 
in  view?”  is  a fatal  condemnation.  The  subject  and 
object  of  every  discourse  should  be  perfectly  obvious — 
if  not  at  the  opening,  surely  at  the  close  of  the  address. 
The  only  safe  method  is  to  have  a well-defined  plan 
marked  out  from  beginning  to  end,  and  then  to  bring 
every  part  of  the  work  into  subordination  to  one  leading 
idea.  The  plan  itself  should  be  constructed  with  some 
clear  object  in  view. 

It  is  better  that  this  construction  of  the  plan  should 
be  completed  before  delivery  begins.  If  you  are  sud- 
denly called  to  speak  on  some  topic  you  have  often 
thought  over,  the  whole  outline  of  the  address,  with  a 
plan  perfect  in  every  part,  may  flash  upon  you  in  a 
moment,  and  you  may  speak  as  well  as  if  you  had  been 
allowed  months  for  preparation.  But  such  cases  are  rare 
exceptions.  The  man  who  attempts,  on  the  spur  of  the 
moment,  to  arrange  his  facts,  draw  his  inferences,  and  en- 
force his  opinions,  will  nsually  find  the  task  very  difficult, 
even  if  the  topic  is  within  his  mental  grasp,  and  his  mem- 
ory promptly  furnishes  him  with  all  necessary  materials. 

We  will  now  consider  the  subject  and  object  which 
(jv^ry  tru.6  discourse^  wli3it6V6r  its  cliEr^ctcr^  must  possess. 


104 


SUBJECT  AND  OBJECT. 


First,  as  to  the  object : why  is  it  that  at  a particulai  i 
time  an  audience  assembles  and  sits  in  silence,  while  one 
man  standing  up,  talks  to  them  ? What  is  his  motive  in  | 
thus  claiming  their  attention  ? Many  of  them  may  have  | 
come  from  mere  impulse,  of  which  they  could  give  no 
rational  explanation,  but  the  speaker  at  least  should  have 
a definite  purpose. 

A clear  aim  tends  powerfully  to  give  unity  and  con- 
sistency to  the  whole  discourse,  and  to  prevent  him  from 
wandering  into  endless  digressions.  It  binds  all  detached 
parts  together  and  infuses  a common  life  through  his 
address.  Such  a ruling  aim  cannot  be  too  definitely 
recognized  and  carefully  kept  in  view,  for  it  is  the  foun- 
dation of  the  whole  discourse.  ! 

This  object  should  not  be  too  general  in  character.  It 
is  not  enough  that  we  wish  to  please  or  to  do  good : it 
may  be  safely  assumed  that  speakers  generally  wish  to 
do  both.  But  how  shall  these  ends  be  reached  ? i 
What  special  good  do  I hope  to  accomplish  by  this 

address  \ 

When  you  have  made  the  object  definite,  you  are  bet-  I 
ter  prepared  to  adapt  all  available  means  to  its  accom- 
plishment. It  should  also  be  stated  that  the  more 
objects  are  subdivided  the  more  precision  will  be  aug- 
mented, though  there  is  a limit  beyond  which  such 
division  would  be  at  the  expense  of  other  qualities. 

Your  object  will  usually  have  reference  to  the  opinion 


SUBJECT  AND  OBJEur. 


105 


or  the  action  of  those  addressed,  and  the  firmer  your 
own  conviction  of  the  truth  of  that  opinion,  or  the  desi- 
rableness of  that  action,  the  greater,  other  things  being 
equal,  your  persuasive  power  will  be.  If  yon  do  not 
know  exactly  what  you  wish,  there  is  little  probability 
that  your  audience  will  care  to  interpret  your  thought ; 
they  will  take  it  for  granted  that  you  really  mean  noth- 
ing, and  even  if  you  do  incidentally  present  some  truth 
supported  by  good  arguments,  they  will  consider  it  a mat- 
ter not  calling  for  any  immediate  consideration  or  definite 
decision  on  their  part. 

The  speaker’s  objects  are  comparatively  few  and  are 
often  determined  by  his  very  position  and  employment. 
If  you  are  engaged  in  a political  canvass  you  are  seek- 
ing to  confirm  and  retain  the  votes  of  your  own  party, 
while  persuading  over  to  your  side  the  opposition. 
Votes  constitute  the  object  you  seek,  and  to  win  them  is 
your  purpose.  But  there  are  many  ways  by  which  that 
desirable  end  may  be  accomplished — some  wise  and 
noble,  others  ignoble.  But  a political  orator  will  gain 
in  power  by  keeping  clearly  in  view  his  purpose  and 
rejecting  from  his  speeches  all  things  that  merely  arouse 
and  embitter  opponents,  without,  at  the  same  time,  con- 
tributing to  strengthen  the  hold  of  the  speaker’s  own 
party  upon  its  members. 

If  you  are  a lawyer  you  wish  to  win  yonr  case.  Tlie 
judge’s  charge,  the  jury’s  verdict,  are  your  objective  points, 


106 


SUBJECT  AND  OBJECT. 


and  all  mere  display  which  does  not  contribute  directlj 
or  indirectly  to  these  ends  is  worse  than  wasted,  as  it  may 
even  interfere  with  your  real  purpose. 

Much  of  your  success  will  depend  upon  keeping  the 
right  object  before  you  at  the  right  time.  If  you  aim 
at  that  which  is  unattainable,  the  elfort  is  not  only  lost, 
but  the  object  which  you  could  have  reached  may  in  the 
meantime  have  passed  out  of  your  reach.  Everybody 
has  heard  ministers  arguing  against  some  forms  of  unbe- 
lief which  their  hearers  knoAV  nothing  about.  This  is 
worse  than  useless ; it  may  suggest  the  very  errors  in- 
tended to  be  refuted ; and  if  this  does  not  result,  to  think 
that  the  refutation  will  be  stored  up  until  the  time  when 
the  errors  themselves  may  be  encountered,  is  to  take  a 
most  flattering  view  of  the  length  of  time  during  which 
sermons  as  well  as  other  discourses  are  remembered. 
You  may  avoid  these  errors  by  selecting  some  object 
which  is  practicable  at  the  moment  of  utterance : the 
first  right  step  makes  all  after  success  possible. 

There  is  a difference  between  the  object  of  a speech 
and  its  subject ; the  former  is  the  motive  that  impels  us 
to  speak,  while  the  latter  is  what  we  speak  about.  It  is 
not  uncommon  for  talkers  to  have  a subject  without  any 
definite  object,  unless  it  be  the  very  general  one  of  com- 
plying with  a form  or  fulfilling  an  engagement.  When 
the  period  for  the  talk  comes — it  would  not  be  right  to 
call  it  a speech — they  take  the  easiest  subject  they  can 


SUBJECT  AND  OBJECT. 


107 


and,  express  all  the  ideas  they  happen  to  have  about 
it,  and  leave  the  matter.  Until  such  persons  become  in 
earnest,  and  get  a living  object,  true  eloquence  is  utterly 
impossible. 

The  object  of  a discourse  is  the  soul,  while  the  subject 
is  but  the  body ; or,  as  we  may  say,  the  one  is  the  end, 
while  the  other  is  the  means  by  which  it  is  accomplished. 
After  the  object  is  clearly  realized  by  the  speaker,  he  can 
choose  the  subject  to  much  better  advantage.  It  may 
happen  that  one  object  is  so  much  more  important  than 
all  other  practicable  ones  that  it  forces  itself  irresistibly 
on  his  attention  and  thus  saves  the  labor  of  choice ; at 
other  times  he  may  have  several  different  objects  with 
no  particular  reason  for  preferring  one  of-  them  in  the 
order  of  time  to  another.  In  this  case  if  a subject  fills 
his  mind  it  will  be  well  to  discuss  it  with  an  aim  toward 
the  object  which  may  be  best  enforced  by  its  means. 

After  all,  it  makes  but  little  difference  which  of  these 
two  is  chosen  first.  It  is  enough  that  when  you  under- 
take to  speak  you  have  a subject  you  fully  understand, 
and  an  object  that  warms  your  heart  and  enlists  all  your 
powers.  You  can  then  speak,  not  as  one  who  deals  with 
abstractions,  but  as  having  a living  mission  to  perform. 

It  is  important  that  each  subject  should  be  complete 
in  itself,  and  rounded  off  from  everything  else.  Its 
boundaries  should  be  run  with  such  precision  as  to 
include  all  that  belongs  to  it,  but  nothing  more.  It  is  a 


108 


SUBJECT  AND  OBJECT. 


eonimoii  but  grievous  fault  to  have  the  same  ^ast  of 
ideas  flowing  around  every  subject.  There  are  few 
Illinois  in  the  universe  which  have  not  some  relation  to 

o 

everything  else.  If  we  do  not^  therefore,  very  strictly 
bound  our  subject,  we  will  find  ourselves  bringing  the 
same  matter  into  each  discourse  and  perpetually  repeating 
our  thoughts.  If  ingenious  in  that  matter,  we  may  find 
a good  excuse  for  getting  our  favorite  anecdotes  and 
brilliant  ideas  into  connection  with  the  most  opposite 
kinds  of  subjects.  An  old  minister  once  gave  me  an 
amusing  account  of  the  manner  in  which  he  made  out- 
lines of  the  sermons  of  a local  celebrity.  The  first  one 
was  a very  able  discourse,  with  three  principal  divisions 
— man’s  fidlen  estate,  the  glorious  means  provided  for  his 
recovery,  and  the  fearful  consequences  of  neglecting 
those  means.  Liking  the  sermon  very  well,  my  infor- 
mant went  to  hear  the  same  man  again.  The  text  was 
new,  but  the  first  proposition,  was  man’s  fallen  estate ; 
the  second,  the  glorious  means  provided  for  his  recovery ; 
and  the  last,  the  fearful  consequences  of  neglecting  those 
means.  Thinking  that  the  repetition  was  an  accident, 
another  trial  was  made.  The  text  was  at  as  great  a 
remove  as  possible  from  the  other  two.  The  first  pro- 
position was,  man’s  fallen  estate  ; and  the  others  followed 
in  due  order.  This  was  an  extreme  instance  of  a coni' 
mon  fault,  which  is  by  no  means  confined  to  the  ministry. 
When  an  eloquent  Congressman  was  once  delivering  a 


SUBJECT  AND  OBJECT. 


109 


great  address,  a member  on  the  opposite  benches  rubbed 
his  hands  in  apparently  ecstatic  delight,  and  remarked  in 
a stage  whisper,  Oh ! how  I have  always  loved  to  hear 
that  speech  In  a book  of  widely  circulated  sermon 
sketches,  nearly  every  one  begins  by  asserting  that  man 
has  fallen  and  needs  the  helps  or  is  liable  to  the  evils 
mentioned  afterward.  No  doubt  this  primary  statement 
is  important,  but  it  might  sometimes  be  taken  for 
granted.  The  fault  which  we  have  here  pointed  out  is 
not  uncommon  in  preaching.  Occasionally  ministers 
acquire  such  a stereotyped  form  of  expression  that  what 
they  say  in  one  sermon  is  sure  to  recur,  perhaps  in  a 
modified  form,  in  all  others.  This  is  intolerable.  There 
is  an  end  to  the  patience  of  man.  He  tires  of  the  same 
old  ideas,  and  wishes,  when  a new  text  is  taken,  that  it 
may  bring  with  it  some  novelty  in  the  sermon.  Tlio 
remedy  against  the  evil  under  consideration  is  found  in 
the  careful  selection  and  definition  of  subjects.  Give  to 
each  its  own  territory  and  guard  rigidly  against  all  tres- 
passers. A speaker  should  not  only  see  that  what  he 
says  has  some  kind  of  connection  with  the  subject  in 
hand,  but  that  it  has  a closer  connection  with  that  subject 
than  any  other  he  may  be  called  upon  to  discuss  at  or 
near  the  same  time.  A very  great  lecturer  advertises  a 
number  of  lectures  upon  topics  that  seem  to  be  totally 
independent.  Yet  all  the  lectures  are  but  one,  except  a 
few  paragraphs  in  the  introduction  of  each.  This  is 


110 


SUBJECT  AND  OBJECT. 


really  a less  fault  in  the  case  of  an  itinerating  lecturer 
than  in  most  other  fields  of  oratory,  as  the  same  people 
hear  the  lecture  but  once.  Yet  even  then  the  false 
assumption  of  intellectual  riches  implied  in  the  numerous 
titles  cannot  be  justified. 

The  subject  should  be  so  well  defined  that  we  always 
know  just  what  we  are  speaking  about.  It  may  be  of 
a general  nature,  but  our  knowledge  of  it  should  be  clear 
and  adequate.  This  is  more  necessary  in  an  extempore 
than  in  a written  speech,  though  the  want  of  it  will  be 
severely  felt  in  the  latter  also.  A strong,  vividly  defined 
subject  will  give  unity  to  the  whole  discourse,  and  prob- 
ably leave  a permanent  impression  on  the  mind  ot  the 
hearer.  To  aid  in  securing  this  it  will  be  well  to  reduce 
every  subject  to  its  simplest  form,  and  then,  by  writing 
it  as  a compact  phrase  or  sentence,  stamp  it  on  the  mind, 
and  let  it  ring  in  every  utterance ; that  is,  let  each  word 
aid  in  carrying  out  the  central  idea,  or  in  leading  up  to 
it.  Those  interminable  discourses  that  begin  anywhere 
and  lead  nowhere,  may  be  called  speeches  or  sermons,  by 
courtesy,  but  they  are  not  such. 

To  always  preserve  this  unity  of  theme  and  treat- 
ment is  not  easy,  and  calls,  often,  for  the  exercise  of 
heroic  self-denial.  To  see  in  the  mind  s eye  what  we 
know  would  please  and  delight  listeners,  pander  to  their 
prejudices,  or  gain  uproarious  applause,  and  then  turn 
away  with,  the  words  unspoken,  merely  because  it  is 


SUBJECT  AND  OBJECT. 


Ill 


foreign  to  our  subject — ^this  is  as  sore  a trial  as  for  a 
miser  on  a sinking  ship  to  abandon  his  gold.  But  it  is 
squally  necessary,  if  we  would  not  fall  into  grave  rhe- 
torical errors.  Any  speech  which  is  constructed  on  the 
plan  of  putting  into  it  all  the  wise  or  witty  or  pleasing 
things  the  speaker  can  think  of  will  be  a mere  mass  of 
more  or  less  foolish  talk.  Shakespeare  is  often  re- 
proached with  having  negleted  the  dramatic  unities  of 
place  and  time;  but  he  never  overlooked  the  higher 
unities  of  subject  and  object.  These  remarks  do  not 
imply  that  illustration  should  be  discarded  or  even  used 
sparingly.  The  whole  realm  of  nature  may  be  ransacked 
for  these  gems,  and  if  they  do  illustrate,  they  are  often 
better  than  statement  or  argument.  If  the  thing  to  be 
illustrated  belongs  to  the  subject,  then  every  apt  illustra- 
tion of  it  also  belongs  there. 

It  is  possible  that  men  of  genius  may  neglect  the  unity 
of  subject  and  object,  and  still  succeed  by  sheer  intellec- 
tual force,  as  they  might  do  under  any  other  circum- 
stances. But  ordinary  men  cannot  with  safety  follow 
the  example  of  Sidney  Smith.  His  hearers  complained 
that  he  did  not  stick  to  his  text,^^  and,  that  he  might 
reform  the  more  easily,  they  suggested  that  he  should 
divide  his  sermons  as  other  ministers  did.  He  promised 
to  gratify  them,  and  the  next  Sabbath,  after  reading  his 
text,  he  began:  ^^We  will  divide  our  discourse  this 

morning  into  three  parts  : in  the  first  place,  we  will  go 


112 


SUBJECT  AND  OBJECT. 


up  to  our  text ; in  the  second  place,  we  will  go  through 
it ; and  in  the  third  place,  we  will  go  from  it.”  There 
was  general  agreement  that  he  succeeded  best  on  the  last 
head,  but  preachers  who  are  not  confident  of  possessing 
his  genius  had  better  confine  themselves  to  the  former 
two. 

A true  discourse  is  the  orderly  development  of  some 
one  thought  or  idea  with  so  much  clearness  and  power 
that  it  may  ever  after  live  as  a point  of  light  in  the 
memory.  Other  ideas  may  cluster  around  the  central 
one,  but  it  must  reign  supreme.  If  the  discourse  fails 
in  this  particular  nothing  else  can  redeem  it.  Brilliancy 
of  thought  and  illustration  will  be  as  completely  wasted 
as  a sculptor’s  art  on  a block  of  clay. 

A man  of  profound  genius  once  arose  to  preach  before 
a great  assemblage,  and  every  breath  was  hushed.  He 
spoke  with  power,  and  many  of  his  passages  were  of 
thrilling  eloquence.  He  poured  forth  beautiful  images 
and  solemn  thoughts  with  the  utmost  profusion;  yet 
when  at  the  end  of  an  hour  he  took  his  seat,  the  prevail- 
ing sentiment  was  one  of  disappointment.  The  address 
was  confused — utterly  destitute  of  any  point  of  union  to 
which  the  memory  could  cling.  Many  of  his  statements 
were  clear  and  impressive,  but  he  did  not  make  evident 
what  he  was  talking  about.  It  was  an  impressive 
warning  against  erecting  a building  before  laying  a 
foundation, 


CHAPTER  XIIL 

Thought-gatheking. 

After  the  subject  upon  which  we  are  to  speak  has  been 
determined  the  logical  order  of  preparation  is,  first, 
gathering  material ; second,  selecting  what  is  most  fitting 
and  arranging  the  whole  into  perfect  order ; third,  fixing 
this  in  the  mind  so  that  it  may  be  available  for  the 
moment  of  use.  These  processes  are  not  always  sepa- 
rated in  practice,  but  they  may  be  best  considered  in  the 
order  indicated. 

When  a subject  is  chosen  and  the  mind  fastened  upon 
it,  that  subject  becomes  a center  of  attraction  and  natur- 
ally draws  all  kindred  ideas  toward  it.  Old  memories 
that  had  become  dim  from  the  lapse  of  time  are  slowly 
hunted  out  and  grouped  around  the  parent  thought. 
Each  hour  of  contemplation  that  elapses,  even  if  there 
is  not  direct  study,  adds  to  the  richness  and  variety  of 
our  available  mental  stores.  The  relations  between  dif- 
ferent and  widely  separated  truths  become  visible,  just  as 
new  stars  are  seen  when  we  gaze  intently  toward  the 
evening  sky.  All  that  lies  within  our  knowledge  is 
subjected  to  a rigid  scrutiny  and  all  that  appears  to  have 
any  connection  with  the  subject  is  brought  into  view. 
Usually  a considerable  period  of  time  is  needed  for  this 

113 


114 


THOUGHT-GATHERING. 


process,  and  the  longer  it  is  continued  the  better,  if  in- 
terest in  the  subject  is  not  suffered  to  decline  in  the  mean- 
while. 

But  it  is  somewhat  difficult  to  continue  at  this  work . 
long  enough  without  weariness.  The  capacity  for  great 
and  continuous  reaches  of  thought  constitutes  a princi- 
pal element  in  the  superiority  of  one  mind  over  another. 
Even  the  mightiest  genius  cannot,  at  a single  impulse, 
exhaust  the  ocean  of  truth  that  opens  around  every 
object  of  man^s  contemplation.  It  is  only  by  viewing  a 
subject  in  every  aspect  that  superficial  and  one-sided 
impressions  can  be  guarded  against.  But  the  continuous 
exertion  and  toil  this  implies  are  nearly  always  distaste- 
ful, and  the  majority  of  men  can  only  accomplish  it  by 
a stern  resolve.  Whether  acquired  or  natural,  the 
ability  to  completely  think  out  a subject  is  of  prime 
necessity ; the  young  student  at  the  outset  should  learn 
to  finish  every  investigation  he  begins  and  continue  the 
habit  during  life.  Doing  this  or  not  doing  it  will  gen- 
erally be  decisive  of  his  success  or  failure  from  an  intel- 
lectual point  of  view.  Thought  is  a mighty  architect, 
and  if  you  keep  him  fully  employed,  he  will  build  up 
with  slow  and  measured  strokes  a gorgeous  edifice  upon 
any  territory  at  all  within  your  mental  range.  You 
may  weary  of  his  labor  and  think  that  the  wall  rises  so 
slowly  that  it  ill  never  be  completed ; but  wait.  In 
due  time,  if  you  are  patient,  all  will  be  finished  and  will. 


THOUGHT-GATHEKING. 


U5 


then  stand  as  no  ephemeral  structure,  to  be  swept  away 
by  the  first  storm  that  blows,  but  will  be  established  and 
unshaken  on  the  basis  of  eternal  truth. 

M.  Bautain  compares  the  accumulation  of  thought 
around  a subject  upon  which  the  mind  thus  dwells  with 
the  development  of  organic  life  by  continuous  growth 
from  an  almost  imperceptible  germ.  Striking  as  is  the 
analogy,  there  is  one  point  of  marked  dissimilarity. 
This  growth  of  thought  is  voluntary  and  may  easily  be 
arrested  at  any  stage.  The  introduction  of  a new  sub- 
ject or  cessation  of  effort  on  the  old  is  fatal.  To  prevent 
this  and  keep  the  mind  employed  until  its  work  is  done 
requires  with  most  persons  a regular  and  formal  system. 
Profound  thinkers,  who  take  up  a subject  and  cannot 
leave  it  until  it  is  traced  into  all  its  intricate  relations 
and  comprehended  in  every  part,  and  Avho  have  at  the 
same  time  the  power  of  easily  recalling  long  trains  of 
thought  that  have  once  passed  through  their  mind,  have 
less  need  of  an  artificial  method.  But  their  case  is  not. 
that  of  the  majority  of  thinkers  or  speakers. 

We  will  give  a method  found  useful  for  securing 
abundant  speech  materials,  and  allow  others  to  adopt  it 
as  far  as  it  may  prove  advantageous  to  them. 

The  things  we  actually  know  are  not  always  kept 
equally  in  view.  Sometimes  we  may  see  an  idea  with 
great  clearness  and  after  a time  lose  it  again,  while 
another,  at  first  invisible,  comes  into  sight.  Each  idea 


116 


THOUGHT-GATHERING. 


should  be  secured  when  it  occurs.  Let  each  thought 
that  arises  on  the  subject  you  intend  to  discuss  be  noted. 

A word  or  a brief  sentence  .sufficient  to  recall  the  con-  . 
ception  to  your  own  mind  will  be  enough^  and  no  labor 
need  be  expended  on  composition  or  expression.  After 
this  first  gatherings  let  the  paper  be  laid  aside  and  the 
subject  be  recommitted  to  the  mind  for  further  reflection. 
As  other  ideas  arise  let  them  be  noted  down  in  the  same 
manner  and  the  process  be  thus  continued  for  days 
together.  Sometimes  new  images  and  conceptions  will 
continue  to  float  into  the  mind  for  weeks.  Most  persons 
who  have  not  tried  this  process  of  accumulation  will  be 
surprised  to  find  how  many  thoughts  they  have  on  the 
simplest  topic.  If  some  of  this  gathered  matter  remains 
vague  and  shadowy^  it  will  only  be  necessary  to  give  it 
more  time  and  more  earnest  thought  and  all  obscurity 
will  vanish. 

At  last  there  comes  the  consciousness  that  the  mind^s 
power  on  that  particular  theme  is  exhausted.  If  we 
also  feel  that  we  have  all  the  material  needed^  one  step 
further  only  remains  in  this  part  of  the  work ; the  com- 
parison of  our  treasures  with  what  others  have  accom- 
plished in  the  same  field.  It  may  be  that  this  compari- 
• son  will  show  the  worthlessness  of  much  of  our  own 
material,  but  it  is  better  to  submit  to  the  humiliation 
involved  and  be  sure  that  we  have  the  best  that  can  be 
furnished  by  other  minds  as  well  as  our  own.  If  we 


THOUGHT-GATHERING. 


117 


prefer,  we  may  speak  when  we  have  gathered  only  the 
materials  that  are  already  ^vithin  our  own  grasp  and 
thus  have  a greater  consciousness  of  originality,  but 
such  consciousness  is  a delusion  unless  based  upon 
exhaustive  research.  Nearly  all  that  we  thus  gather 
will  be  the  result  of  previous  reading,  and  almost  the 
only  thing  in  its  favor  over  the  fresh  accumulations  that 
we  make  by  reading  directly  in  the  line  of  our  subject, 
is  the  probability  tliat  the  former  knowledge  will  be 
better  digested. 

But  more  frequently,  after  the  young  orator  has  recol- 
lected and  briefly  noted  all  that  bears  upon  his  subject 
with  which  his  own  mind  furnishes  him,  there  remains 
a sense  of  incompleteness,  and  he  is  driven  to  seek  a 
further  supply.  He  is  now  hungry  for  new  informa- 
tion, and  on  this  state  there  is  an  intellectual  blessing 
corresponding  to  the  moral  blessing  pronounced  upon 
those  who  hunger  and  thirst  after  righteousness.  He 
reads  the  works  of  those  who  have  treated  the  same  or 
related  topics,  converses  with  well-informed  persons, 
observes  the  world  closely,  still  putting  down  every  new 
idea  that  seems  to  bear  upon  his  theme.  Whenever  an 
idea  is  found  which  supplies  a felt  want,  it  is  received 
with  great  joy.  It  often  happens  that  instead  of  finding 
the  very  thing  sought  for  he  strikes  upon  the  first  link 
of  some  chain  of  thoughts  in  his  own  mind  that  leads  up 
to  what  he  desires,  but  has  hitherto  overlooked.  The 


THOUGHT-GATHERING. 


118 

aew  idea  is  only  the  more  valued  when  it  has  thus  been 
traced  out. 

Now,  we  have  on  paper,  and  often  after  much  toil,  a 
number  of  confused,  unarranged  notes.  They  are  desti- 
tute  of  polish,  and  no  more  constitute  a speech  than  the  | 
piles  of  brick  and  Inmber  a builder  accumulates  consti-  | 
tutc  a house.  Indeed,  this  comparison  is  too  favorable,  j 
for  the  builder  has  carefully  calculated  just  what  he  | 
needs  for  his  honse,  and  has  ordered  those  very  things. 
But  usually  we  have  in  our  notes  much  that  can  be  of 
no  use,  and  at  whatever  sacrifice  of  feeling  it  must  be 
thrown  out.  This  is  a matter  of  great  importance.  It  . 
.has  been  said  that  the  principal  difference  between  the 
conversation  of  a wise  man  and  of  a fool  is  that  the  one 
speaks  all  that  is  in  his  mind,  while  the  other  gives  utter- 
ance only  to  carefully  selected  thoughts.  Nearly  all 
men  have  at  times  ideas  that  would  please  and  profit  any 
audience ; and  if  these  are  carefully  weeded  out  from  the 
puerilities  by  which  they  may  be  surrounded^  the  re- 
mainder will  be  far  more  valuable  than  the  whole  mass.  ^ 
Everything  not  in  harmony  with  the  controlling  object 
or  purpose  must  be  thrown  away  at  whatever  sacrifice 
of  feeling.  Read  carefully  your  scattered  notes  after  the 
fervor  of  pursuit  has  subsided  and  erase  every  phrase 
that  is  unfitting.  If  but  little  remains  you  can  continue 
the  search  as  at  first,  and  erase  and  search  again,  until 
you  have  all  that  you  need  of  matter  truly  relevant  to 


THOTJGHT-GATHEEING. 


119 


tli6  subject.  Yet  it  is  not  well  to  be  over-fiistidious. 
This  would  prevent  speech  altogether,  or  make  the  work 
of  preparation  so  slow  and  wearisome  that  when  the 
hour  of  effort  arrived,  all  freshness  and  vigor  would  be 
gone.  A knight  in  Spenser’s  “ Faery  Queen  ” entered 
I an  enchanted  castle  and  as  he  passed  through  eleven 
i rooms  in  succession  he  saw  written  on  the  walls  of  each 
I the  words,  “ Be  bold  f but  on  the  twelfth  the  inscription 
i changed  to  the  advice  of  equal  wisdom,  “ Be  not  too 
bold.”  The  same  injunctions  are  appropriate  to  the 

r orator.  He  should  be  careful  in  the  selection  of  his 
material,  but  not  too  careful.  Many  things  which  a 
finical  taste  might  reject  are  allowable  and  very  effective. 
No  definite  rule,  however,  can  be  given  on  the  subject, 
as  it  is  a matter  of  taste  rather  than  of  calculation. 


CHAPTEE  XIY. 

CoNSTRucTma  a Plan. 

The  thoughts  which  have  been  gathered  in  the  modes 
pointed  out  in  the  last  chapter  are  now  to  be  arranged 
in  the  most  eiFective  order.  It  will  not  usually  do  to 
begin  a speech  with  those  things  we  happen  to  first 
think  of,  and  proceed  to  others  that  are  less  obvious. 
This  would  lead  to  an  anti-climax  fatal  to  eloquence. 
A speaker  who  adopted  this  mode  once  complained 
that  his  speeches  often  seemed  to  taper  to  a very  fine 
point,  and  that  he  lost  all  interest  in  them  before  finish- 
ing. The  explanation  was  simple ; he  uttered  first  those 
thoughts  which  were  familiar  to  himself  and  came  after- 
ward to  those  which  had  been  sought  out  by  more  or 
less  painful  effort,  and  which  seemed  less  certain  and 
valuable.  The  remedy  for  this  fault  is  found  in  care- 
ful arrangement.  The  most  familiar  thoughts  Avill 
naturally  be  jotted  down  first,  but  it  does  not  follow 
that  they  should  occupy  the  same  place  in  the  finished 
plan  of  the  speech. 

The  true  mode  of  improving  your  plans  is  to  bestoAV 
a great  deal  of  time  and  thought  upon  them,  and  to 
make  no  disposition  of  any  part  for  Ayliich  you  cannot 
give  a satisfactory  reason.  This  direction  relates  only 
120 


CONSTRUCTING  A PLAN. 


121 


to  the  beginner.  In  time  the  formation  of  plans  will 
become  so  natural  that  any  variation  from  the  most 
effective  arrangement  will  be  felt  as  keenly  as  a discord 
in  music  is  felt  by  a master  in  that  art.  From  such 
carefully  constructed  plans,  firm,  coherent,  and  logical 
discourses  will  result. 

There  are  certain  general  characteristics  that  each  plan 
should  possess.  It  must  fully  indicate  the  nature  of  the 
proposed  discourse  and  mark  out  each  of  its  successive 
steps  with  accuracy.  Any  want  of  definiteness  in  the 
outline  is  a fatal  defect.  You  must  feel  that  you  can 
rely  absolutely  on  it  for  guidance  to  the  end  of  yom* 
discourse  or  be  always  in  danger  of  embarrassment  and 
confusion. 

Each  clause  should  express  a distinct  idea,  and  but 
one.  This  should  be  repeated  in  no  other  part  of  the 
discourse ; otherwise,  we  fall  into  wearisome  repetitions, 
the  great  vice,  as  it  is  often  claimed,  of  extempore 
speakers. 

A brief  plan  is  better,  other  things  being  equal,  than 
a long  one.  Often  a single  word  will  recall  an  idea  as 
perfectly  as  many  sentences,  and  it  will  burden  the 
memory  less.  We  do  not  expect  the  draft  of  a house  to 
equal  the  house  in  size,  but  only  to  preserve  a propor- 
tionate relation  to  it  throughout.  The  plan  cannot 
supply  the  thought,  but,  indicating  what  is  in  the  mind, 
it  shows  how  to  bring  it  forth  in  regular  . succession.  It 


122 


CONSTRUCTING  A PLAN. 


is  a pathway  leading  to  a definite  end,  and,  like  all  path-  •; 
ways,  its  crowning  merits  are  directness  and  smoothness. 
Without  these  qualities  it  will  perplex  and  hinder  rather  | 
than  aid.  Each  word  in  the  plan  should  suggest  an  j 
idea,  and  be  so  firmly  bound  to  that  idea  that  the  two  .• 
cannot  become  separated  in  any  exigency  of  speech.  You  ! 
will  find  it  sorely  perplexing  if,  in  the  heat  of  discourse,  . 
some  important  note  should  lose  the  thought  for  which 
it  previously  stood  and  become  an  empty  word.  But 
with  clear  conceptions  condensed  into  fitting  words  this 
cannot  easily  happen.  A familiar  idea  can  be  expressed 
very  briefly,  while  a strange  or  new  conception  may 
require  more  expansion.  But  all  thoughts  advanced  by 
the  speaker  ought  to  be  familiar  to  himself  as  the  result 
of  long  meditation  and  thorough  mastery,  no  matter  how 
strange  or  startling  they  are  to  his  hearers.  Most  skele- 
tons may  be  brought  within  the  compass  of  a hundred 
words,  and  every  part  be  clearly  indicated  to  the  mind 
that  conceived  it,  though  perhaps  not  to  any  other. 

There  may  be  occasions  when  a speaker  is  justified  in 
announcing  his  divisions  and  subdivisions,  but  such 
cases  are  exceptions.  Hearers  do  not  care  how  a dis- 
course is  constructed,  so  it  comes  to  them  warm  and 
pulsating  with  life.  To  give  the  plan  of  a speech  before 
the  speech  itself  is  contrary  to  the  order  of  nature.  We 
are  not  required  first  to  look  upon  a grisly  skeleton 
before  we  can  see  a graceful,  living  body.  There  is  a 


CONSTBUCTING  A PLAN, 


123 


skeleton  inside  each  body,  but  during  life  it  is  well 
hidden,  and  there  is  no  reason  that  the  speaker  should 
anticipate  the  work  of  the  tomb.  It  is  hardly  less 
objectionable  to  name  the  parts  of  the  discourse  during 
the  progress  of  the  discussion,  for — continuing  the  former 
illustration — ^bones  that  project  through  the  skin  are 
very  unlovely.  The  only  case,  I presume  to  think, 
where  it  is  justifiable  to  name  the  parts  of  a discourse, 
j either  before  or  during  its  delivery,  is  where  the  sepa- 
j rate  parts  have  an  importance  of  their  own,  in  addition 
I to  their  office  of  contributing  to  the  general  object. 

^ Much  of  the  proverbial  “ dryness  ” of  sermons  arises 
! from  the  preacher  telling  what  he  is  about  to  remark, 
firstly,  before  he  actually  makes  the  remark  thus  num- 
bered. Whenever  we  hear  a minister  read  his  text, 
announce  his  theme,  state  the  parts  into  which  he  means 
to  divide  it,  and  then  warn  us  that  the  first  head  will  be 
subdivided  into  a certain  number  of  parts,  each  of  which 
is  also  specified  in  advance,  we  prepare  our  endurance  for 
a severe  test. 


CHAPTER  XV. 


How  Shall  the  Written  Plan  be  Used? 

Now  that  the  plan  is  completed  and  fully  written  out, 
the  next  question  arises  as  to  what  shall  be  done  with 
it.  It  may  either  be  used  or  abused.  To  read  it  to 
the  audience  or  exhibit  it  to  them  would  be  an  obvious 
abuse.  Possibly  if  the  speaker  possessed  a large  black- 
board^ the  latter  course  might,  in  special  cases,  have  some 
advantages.  But  even  then  it  is  better  that  the  students 
should,  in  most  instances,  exercise  their  own  ingenuity 
in  gathering  out  of  the  body  of  the  speech  the  central 
thoughts  which  they  wish  to  preserve  in  their  note- 
books, than  that  the  work  should  be  done  for  them  in 
advance  by  having  the  whole  plan  of  the  lecture  placed 
in  their  sight. 

The  writer  has  experimented  on  this  subject  by  repeat- 
ing the  same  lecture  to  different  classes  with  the  outline  in 
some  cases  exposed  to  view,  and  in  the  others  concealed : 
the  interest  has  always  seemed  to  be  greater,  and  the 
understanding  more  complete  in  the  latter  case.  If  this 
is  true  where  instruction  is  the  only  aim,  it  is  still  more 
necessary  where  persuasion  is  the  object  of  the  speaker. 
The  exposing  in  advance  of  the  means  by  which  he 
intends  to  work,  will  put  on  their  guard  the  very  per- 

124 


USING  THE  WRITTEN  PLAN.  125 

' sons  whose  hearts  he  wishes  to  capture,  and  thus  lose  him 
: all  that  advantage  of  surprise  which  is  often  as  moment- 

! ous  iu  oratorical  as  in  military  affairs, 
i There  are  two  other  ways  of  using  the  plan  to  be 
considered.  One  is  to  keep  it  in  the  speaker’s  sight,  so 
that  he,  may  step  along  from  one  item  to  another,  thus 
keeping  a foundation  of  written  words  in  the  midst  of 
I the  uncertainty  of  his  extemporaneous  efforts,  like  that 
i afforded  by  stepping-stones  to  a man  crossing  a running 
stream.  There  are  some  advantages  in  such  use.  The 
; speaker  will  feel  freer  in  making  those  pauses  which  are 
sometimes  necessary  for  the  sake  of  emphasis.  He  is 
: better  able  to  collect  his  scattered  ideas  in  case  any 

^ untoward  circumstance  should  break  the  thread  of  his 
discourse.  If  he  is  confused  for  a moment,  he  may  look 
^ down  to  his  paper  and  recover  himself,  while  if  thoughts 
; and  words  flow  easily  he  can  ignore  the  plan  which  lies 

I before  him. 

' But  all  the  reasons  for  thus  using  the  plan  are  the 
most  emphatic  condemnation  of  the  practice.  They  are 
all  make-shifts.  They  are  based  upon  the  thought  that 
the  great  object  is  to  secure  the  speaker  from  danger  ant 
confusion ; in  other  words,  they  put  him  on  the  defen- 
sive, instead  of  the  aggressive.  Were  the  question  to  be 
stated,  “ How  can  a man  best  preserve  the  form  of  ex- 
i temporaneous  speech  while  shielding  himself  ft  on  ^ 
most  dangerous  incidents  of  that  mode  of  address?  it 


126 


USING  THE  WRITTEN  PLAN. 


might  plausibly  be  replied,  By  making  a very  full  plan 
and  concealing  it  at  some  point  within  the  reach  of  his 
eyes,  and  using  it  whenever  that  course  becomes  easiest.^^ 

But  we  have  not  sought  to  point  out  the  mode  of 
speech  which  will  best  protect  the  speaker  from  risks 
incident  to  his  work.  For  real  effectiveness,  compro- 
mises are  usually  hurtful,  and  this  expedient  forms  no 
exception. 

To  have  a plan  in  sight  tends  powerfully  to  break  up 
the  speech  into  fragments  and  destroy  its  unity.  A 
series  of  short  addresses  on  related  points,  affords  no  sub- 
stitute for  a concentrated  discourse.  The  speaker  who 
publicly  uses  his  sketch,  speaks  on  until  he  reaches  a 
point  at  which  he  does  not  know  what  is  to  come  next, 
and  on  the  brink  of  that  gulf,  looks  down  at  his  notes, 
and,  perhaps  after  a search,  finds  what  he  wants.  Had 
the  thought  existed  in  his  mind,  it  would  have  blended 
the  close  of  the  preceding  sentences  into  harmony  with 
it.  Direct  address  to  the  people,  which  they  so  much 
value  in  a speaker,  is  interfered  with  in  the  same  way, 
for  his  eye  must  rest  for  a portion  of  the  time  upon  his 
notes.  He  will  also  be  apt  to  mention  the  divisions  of 
his  speech  as  they  occur,  because  the  eye  is  resting  upon 
them  at  the  same  time  the  tongue  is  engaged,  and  it  is 
bard  to  keep  the  two  members  from  working  in  harmony. 

If  notes  must  be  used  the  same  advice  applies  that  we 
have  already  offered  to  those  who  read  in  full.  Be  honest 


USING  THE  WRITTEN  PLAN. 


127 


about  it ; do  not  try  to  hide  the  notes.  Any  attempt  to 
prove  to  an  audience  that  we  are  doing  what  we  are  not 
doing,  has  in  it  an  element  of  deception,  and  is  morally 
objectionable.  The  use  of  notes  is  not  wrong,  but  to  use 
them  while  pretending  not  to  use  them  is  wrong. 

Some  speakers  carry  their  notes  in  their  pockets  for 
the  sake  of  being  able  to  take  them  out  in  case  they  find 
their  memory  failing,  and  thus  they  guard  against  the 
misfortune  which  once  befell  the  eloquent  Abbe  Bautain, 
who,  on  ascending  the  pnlpit  to  preach  before  the  French 
King  and  Court,  found  that  he  had  forgotten  subject,  plan, 
and  text.  This  method  is  honest  and  unobjectionable, 
for  the  notes  of  the  plan  are  either  not  used  by  the 
speaker  at  all,  or  if  he  takes  them  from  his  pocket,  the 
people  will  understand  the  action. 

The  only  remaining  method,  and  that  which  we  would 
urge  upon  every  extempore  speaker,  is  to  commit  the 
plan,  as  sketched,  to  memory.  It  is  put  in  the  best  pos- 
sible shape  for  the  expression  of  the  subject  by  the  labor 
which  has  been  previously  bestowed  upon  it,  and  now 
such  review  as  will  give  the  mind  a perfect  recollection  of 
• the  whole  subject  in  its  orderly  unfolding  is  just  what 
is  needed  for  final  mastery.  Previously  much  of  the  work 
of  preparation  was  given  to  detached  fragments.  Now 
the  subject  as  a whole  is  spread  out.  The  time  given  to 
a thorough  memorizing  of  the  plan  need  not  be  great  5 
it  will  indeed  be  but  small  if  the  plan  itself  is  so  well 


128 


USING  THE  WEITTEN  PLAN. 


arranged  that  every  preceding  part  suggests  what  fol- 
lows; but  it  will  be  the  most  fruitful  of  all  the  tinift 
spent  in  preparation.  It  puts  you  in  the  best  condition 
for  speaking.  The  object  is  then  fixed  in  the  heart  and 
will  fire  it  to  earnestness  and  zeal,  while  the  subject  is 
spread,  like  a map,  before  the  mental  vision.  All  the 
power  you  possess  can  then  be  brought  to  bear  directly 
upon  the  people.  Do  not  fear  that  in  the  hurry  of  dis- 
course you  will  forget  some  part  of  what  is  clear  when 
you  begin.  If  you  are  in  good  mental  and  physical 
condition,  the  act  of  speech  will  be  exhilarating  and  stim- 
ulating, so  that  every  fine  line  of  preparation  will  come 
into  clearness  just  at  the  right  time,  and  many  a relation 
unperceived  before,  many  a forgotten  fact,  will  spring  up 
in  complete  and  vivid  perception.  There  is  a wonderful 
luxury  of  feeling  in  such  speech.  Sailing  with  a swift 
wind,  riding  a race-horse,  even  the  joy  of  victorious  bat- 
tle— indeed,  all  enjoyments  that  arise  from  the  highest 
powers  called  forth  into  successful  exercise — are  inferior 
to  the  thrill  and  intoxication  of  the  highest  form  of  suc- 
cessful extemporaneous  speech.  To  think  of  using  notes 
then  would  seem  like  a contemptible  impertinence ! 
Imagine  Xavier  or  Luther  with  their  notes  spread  out 
before  them,  looking  up  the  different  items  from  which 
to  address  the  multitudes  spell-bound  before  them  ! The 
Presbyterian  Deacon  who  once  prayed  in  the  presence  of 
bis  note-using  Pastor,  Lord!  teach  Thy  servants  to 


USING  THE  WRITTEN  PLAN. 


129 


^peak  from  the  heart  to  the  hearty  and  not  from  a little 
I piece  of  paper,  as  the  manner  of  some  is/^  was  not  so 
I very  far  wrong ! 

I It  is  advisable  to  commit  the  plan  to  memory  a con- 
I siderable  time  before  speaking.  It  then  takes  more 
complete  possession  of  the  mind  and  there  is  less  liability 
of  forgetting  some  portion.  This  is  less  important  when 
the  subject  is  perfectly  familiar,  for  then  out  of  the 
I abundance  of  the  heart  the  mouth  speaketh,’^  but  those 
I subjects  which  have  been  recently  studied  for  the  first 
! time  are  in  a different  position ; and  some  meditation 
upon  that  which  has  just  been  arranged  in  its  best  form 
will  be  very  serviceable.  Even  if  the  salient  points  are 
firmly  grasped,  some  of  the  minor  parts  may  require 
further  close  consideration.  No  study  is  ever  so  profit- 
I able  as  that  which  is  bestowed  after  the  plan  is  complete, 
for  up  to  that  time  there  is  danger  that  some  of  the 
I tlioughts  to  which  our  attention  is  given  may  be  ulti- 
mately rejected  and  others  radically  modified.  But 
when  the  plan  is  finished  each  idea  has  settled  into  its 
place.  If  obscurity  rests  anywhere,  it  may  be  detected 
I at  once,  and  the  strength  of  the  mind  be  brought  to  bear 
' for  its  banishment.  Impressions  derived  from  medita- 
tion are  then  easily  retained  until  the  hour  of  speech, 
because  associated  with  their  proper  place  in  the  prepared 
outline.  Such  deep  meditation  on  each  division  of  the 
discourse  can  scarcely  fail  to  make  it  original  in  the  true 


1^0  USING  THE  WRITTEN  PLAN. 

sense  of  the  teriii^  and  weave  all  its  parts  together  with 
strong  and  massive  thoughts. 

After  the  plan  has  been  memorized  we  can  meditate 
upon  it  not  only  at  the  desk^  but  anywhere.  As  we 
v/alk  about  or  lie  in  bed,  or  at  any  other  time  find  our 
minds  free  from  distractions,  we  can  ponder  the  ideas 
that  cluster  around  our  subject  until  they  grow  perfectly 
familiar.  Even  when  we  are  reading  or  thinking  on 
other  topics,  brilliant  thoughts  will  not  unfrequently 
spring  up,  or  those  we  possessed  before  take  stronger 
and  more  definite  outlines.  All  such  gains  can  be  held 
in  memory  without  the  use  of  the  pen,  because  the  plan 
furnishes  a suitable  place  for  them. 

The  course  here  described  we  would  urge  strongly 
upon  the  consideration  of  the  young  speaker.  If  care- 
fully followed,  its  results  will  be  invaluable.  Arrange 
the  plan  from  which  you  are  to  speak  as  clearly  as  may 
be  in  the  form  of  a brief  sketch ; turn  it  over  and  over 
again  ; ponder  each  idea  and  the  manner  of  bringing  it 
out;  study  the  connection  between  all  the  parts  until 
the  whole  from  beginning  to  end  appears  perfectly  plain 
and  simple.  So  frequently  has  this  mode  of  preparation 
been  tested  that  its  effectiveness  is  no  longer  a matter  of 
experiment. 

It  is  advantageous  to  grasp  the  whole  subject,  as 
early  as  possible,  in  a single  idea — in  the  same  manner 
in  which  the  future  tree  is  compressed  within  the  germ 


USING  THE  WRITTEN  PLAN. 


131 


from  which  it  is  to  spring.  Then  this  one  thought  will 
gnggest  the  entire  discourse  to  the  spe^iker^  nnd  at  its 
; conclusion  will  be  left  clear  and  positive  in  the  hearer’s 
j mind.  For  some  acute  auditors  this  may  be  less  neces- 
sary. They  are  able  to  outrun  a loose  speaker,  arrange 
: his  scattered  fragments,  supply  his  omissions,  and  arrive 

at  the  idea  which  has  not  yet  formed  itself  clearly  in  his 
own  mind.  Such  persons  often  honestly  commend 
! orators  who  are  incomprehensible  to  the  majority  of 
' their  hearers.  But  the  opinions  of  such  auditors  are  an 

: unsafe  guide,  for  they  form  a very  small  minority  of 

; any  assembly. 

! There  is  one  further  step  which  may  sometimes  pre- 
‘ cede  the  moment  of  speech  with  profit — ^the  placing  upon 

paper  of  a brief  but  connected  sketch  or  statement  of  the 
i whole  discourse.  If  this  is  made  in  the  ordinary  writing 
there  is  danger  that  its  slowness  will  make  it  more  of  a 
I word-study  than  what  it  is  intended  to  be — a test  of 
I ideas.  A thorough  mastery  of  shorthand,  or  the  service 
i of  some  one  who  has  such  mastery,  will  supply  this 
I defect.  If  the  plan  is  well  arranged  there  will  be  no 
pause  in  the  most  rapid  composition,  and  if  the  whole 
discourse  can  at  one  effort  be  thrown  into  a dress  of 
words  there  may  be  full  assurance  that  the  same  thing 
I can  be  accomplished  still  more  easily  and  effectively 
when  the  additional  stimulus  of  an  audience  is  supplied. 
There  should  be  no  attempt,  in  the  moment  of  speaking, 


132 


USING  THE  WEITTEN  PLAN. 


to  recall  the  very  words  used  in  writing,  but  the  com- 
mand of  language  will  undoubtedly  be  greatly  improved 
by  having  so  recently  used  many  of  the  terms  that  will 
be  again  required.  Frequently  there  will  be  fine  pas- 
sages in  the  speech  which  you  have  thus  struck  off  at 
white  heat  that  you  may  be  unwilling  to  forget,  but  it  is 
better  to^make  no  effort  to  remember  them,  for  you  are 
almost  sure  to  rise  still  higher  in  the  moment  of 
public  delivery. 

When  this  rapid  writing  is  not  available,  a-  partial 
substitute  for  it  may  be  found  in  writing  in  the  ordinary 
hand  a brief  sketch  or  compact  model  of  the  whole  dis- 
course. You  will  be  surprised  to  notice  how  short  a 
compass  will  suffice  for  a discourse  requiring  an  hour  or 
more  in  delivery,  without  the  omission  of  a single 
material  thought.  Such  a sketch  differs  from  the  plan 
in  clearly  expressing  all  the  ideas  that  underlie  the 
coming  speech,  while  the  latter  would  be  nearly  unin- 
telligible to  any  but  its  author.  The  one  is  only  a few 
marks  thrown  out  in  the  field  of  thought  by  which  an 
intended  pathway  is  indicated ; tlie  other  is  a very  brief 
view  of  the  thoughts  themselves,  without  adornment  or 
verbiage.  Some  speakers  who  might  feel  insecure  in 
trusting  the  notes  and  hints  of  the  plan  would  feel  per- 
fectly safe  in  enlarging  upon  a statement  of  their 
thoughts  so  brief  that  the  whole  sketch  of  the  speech 
would  not  require  more  than  three  or  four  minutes  to 


tJSlNG  THE  W KITTEN  PLAN. 


Ie33 


read.  But  this  whole  plan  of  writing,  either  in  full 
or  in  brief,  is  only  an  expedient,  and  need  not  be  adopted 
by  those  who  have  full  confidence  in  their  trained  and 
cultivated  powers. 

After  you  have  prepared  your  plan  it  is  well  to  pre- 
serve it  for  future  use,  which  may  be  done  by  copying 
it  into  a book  kept  for  that  purpose : or,  what  is  more 
convenient  in  practice,  folding  the  slip  of  paper  on  which 
it  is  written  into  an  envelope  of  suitable  size  with  the 
subject  written  on  the  back.  These  may  be  classified 
and  preserved,  even  in  very  large  numbers,  so  as  to  be 
easily  consulted.  From  time  to  time,  as  your  ability 
grows,  they  may  be  improved  upon  so  as  to  remain  the 
complete  expression  of  your  ability  on  every  theme  treated. 
On  the  back  of  the  envelope  may  also  be  written  refer- 
ences to  any  source  of  additional  information  on  the 
same  subject,  and  printed  or  written  scraps,  valuable  as 
illustrations,  or  for  additional  information,  may  be 
slipped  inside. 


CHAPTEE  XVI. 

The  Fiest  Moment  of  Speech. 

Having  completed  all  your  preparations,  you  now 
anxiously  await  the  commencement  of  the  intellectual 
battle.  This  period  is  often  a severe  trial.  Men  who 
are  physically  brave  sometimes  tremble  in  anticipation  of 
speedily  standing  before  an  audience.  The  shame  of 
failure  then  may  appear  worse  than  death  itself.  As  the 
soldier  feels  more  of  cold  and  shrinking  terror  when 
listening  for  the  peal  of  the  first  gun,  than  afterward, 
when  the  conflict  deepens  into  blood  around  him,  so  the 
speaker  usually  suffers  more  in  this  moment  of  expect- 
ancy than  in  any  that  follows.  You  behold  the  danger 
in  its  full  magnitude,  without  the  inspiration  that  attends 
it.  Yet  whatever  effort  it  may  cost,  you  must  remain 
calm  and  collected,  for  if  not  master  of  yourself,  you 
cannot  expect  to  rule  others.  Y our  material  must  be 
kept  well  in  hand,  ready  to  be  used  at  the  proper  time, 
though  it  is  not  well  to  be  continually  conning  over  your 
preparation.  That  would  destroy  the  freshness  of  your 
matter  and  bring  you  to  the  decisive  test  weary  and 
jaded.  You  only  need  such  an  occasional  glance  as  will 
assure  you  that  all  your  material  remains  within  reach. 
It  is  seldom  possible  by  any  means  to  banish  all  fear, 

134 


THE  FIRST  MOMENT  OF  SPEECH.  135 

and  it  is  to  the  speaker’s  advantage  that  he  cannot.  His 
timidity  arises  from  several  causes,  which  differ  widely 
in  the  effects  they  produce.  A conscious  Avant  of  prepa- 
ration, especially  when  this  arises  from  any  neglect  or 
indolence,  is  one  of  the  most  distressing  sources  of  fear. 
A species  of  remorse  then  mingles  with  the  embarrass- 
ment natural  to  the  moment.  If  the  speaker  has  no 
other  motive  than  to  win  reputation — to  minister  to  his 
own  vanity — he  will  feel  terrified,  as  he  realizes  that 
shame  instead  of  honor  may  be  the  result  of  his  rash- 
ness. That  man  is  fortunate  who  can  say,  I only 
speak  because  I feel  it  to  be  duty  Avhich  I dare  not 
refuse — a Avork  that  I must  perform  Avhether  well  or 
ill.”  The  laAvyer  who  must  defend  his  client,  the  min- 
ister who  feels  that  the  hour  of  service  has  arrived,  the 
teacher  in  the  presence  of  his  class,  are  examples  of  those 
Avho  speak  under  the  same  kind  of  compulsion  that  calls 
a field  laborer  out  into  the  burning  heat  of  a J uly  noon 
Avhetiier  he  feels  like  it  or  not.  But  if  you  are  about  to 
speak  because  you  have  intruded  into  the  work  that 
properly  belongs  to  another,  you  need  to  be  very  sure  of 
your  preparation,  for  in  case  of  failure  you  will  not  have 
even  your  OAvn  sympathy. 

But  the  most  formidable  and  common  foe  of  the 
speaker’s,  in  these  preliminary  moments,  is  a general 
dread  that  can  neither  be  analyzed  nor  accounted  for. 
Persons  who  have  never  felt  its  pOAver  sometimes  make 


136  THE  FIRST  MOMENT  OF  SPEECH. 

light  of  it,  but  experience  will  change  their  views.  The 
soldier  who  has  never  witnessed  a battle,  or  felt  the  air 
throb  with  the  explosion  of  cannon,  or  heard  the  awful 
cries  of  the  wounded,  is  often  a great  braggart;  while 
^Hhe  scarred  veteran  of  a hundred  fights  never  speaks 
of  the  carnival  of  blood  without  shuddering,  and  would 
be  the  last,  but  for  the  call  of  duty,  to  brave  the  danger 
he  knows  so  well.  There  may  be  a few  speakers  who 
do  not  feel  such  fear,  but  it  is  because  they  do  not  know 
what  true  speaking  is.  They  have  never  known  the  full 
tide  of  inspiration  which  sometimes  lifts  the  orator  far 
above  his  conceptions,  but  which  first  struggles  in  his 
own  bosom  like  the  pent  fires  of  a volcano.  They  only 
come  forward  to  relieve  themselves  of  the  interminable 
stream  of  twaddle  that  wells  spontaneously  to  their  lips, 
and  can  well  be  spared  the  pangs  preceding  the  birth  of 
a powerful  and  living  discourse. 

This  kind  of  fear- belongs  to  every  kind  of  oratory,  but 
is  most  intense  on  those  great  occasions,  in  presence  of 
large  audiences,  when  men’s  passions  run  high.  In  mere 
instructive  address,  where  the  ground  has  been  repeatedly 
gone  over  and  where  the  effort  is  mainly  of  an  intellect- 
ual character,  it  is  less  noticeable.  It  resembles  the  awe 
felt  on  the  eve  of  all  great  enterprises,  and  when  exces- 
sive, as  it  is  in  some  highly  gifted  minds,  it  constitutes  an 
absolute  bar  to  public  speech.  But  in  most  cases  it  is  a 
source  of  inspiration  rather  than  of  repression. 


THE  FIRST  MOMENT  OF  SPEECH.  137 

There  is  a strange  sensation  often  experienced  in  the 
presence  of  an  audience.  It  may  proceed  from  the  gaze 
of  the  many  eyes  that  turn  upon  the  speaker,  especially 
if  he  permits  himself  to  steadily  return  that  gaze.  Most 
speakers  have  been  conscious  of  this  in  a nameless  thrill, 
a real  something,  pervading  the  atmosphere,  tangible, 

I evanescent,  indescribable.  All  writers  have  borne  testi- 
i mony  to  the  power  of  a speaker’s  eye  in  impressing  an 
audience.  This  influence  which  we  are  now  considering 
is  the  reverse  of  that  picture— the  power  their  eyes  may 
exert  upon  him,  especially  before  he  begins  to  speak: 
after  the  inward  fires  of  oratory  are  fanned  into  flame 
, the  eyes  of  the  audience  lose  all  terror.  By  dwelling 
I on  the  object  for  which  we  speak  and  endeavoring  to 
realize  its  full  importance,  we  will  in  a measure  lose 
I sight  of  our  personal  danger,  and  be  more  likely  to 
I maintain  a .calm  and  tranquil  frame  of  mind, 
i No  change  should  be  made  in  the  plan  at  the  last 
! moment,  as  that  is  very  liable  to  produce  confusion. 

1 This  error  is  often  committed.  The  mind  has  a natural 
tendency  to  go  repeatedly  over  the  same  ground,  revising 
and  testing  every  point,  and  it  may  make  changes  the  conse- 
quences of  which  cannot  be  in  a moment  foreseen.  But 
the  necessary  preparation  has  been  made  and  we  should 
j now  await  the  result  calmly  and  hopefully.  Over-study 
is  quite  possible,  and  when  accompanied  by  great  solici- 
tude wearies  our  mind  in  advance  and  strips  the  subject 


138 


THE  FIEST  MOMENT  OF  SPEECH. 


of  all  freshness.  If  the  eye  is  fixed  too  long  upon  one 
object  with  a steadfast  gaze,  it  loses  the  power  to  see  at 
all.  So  the  mind,  if  exerted  steadily  upon  a single  topic 
for  a long  period,  fails  in  vigor  and  elasticity  at  the 
moment  when  those  qualities  are  indispensable.  That 
profound  thinker  and  preacher,  Frederick  W.  Robertson, 
experienced  this  difficulty  and  was  accustomed  to  find 
relief  by  reading  some  inspiring  paragraphs  upon  some 
totally  different  theme  from  that  he  intended  to  speak 
about.  The  energy  and  enthusiasm  of  our  minds  in 
the  moment  of  speech  must  be  raised  to  the  highest 
pitch;  the  delivery  of  a living  discourse  is  not  the  dry 
enumeration  of*  a list  of  particulars;  but  we  must 
actually  feel  an  immediate  and  burning  interest  in  the 
topics  with  which  we  deal.  This  cannot  be  counterfeited. 

To  clearly  arrange  all  thoughts  that  belong  to  the  I 
subject,  lay  them  aside  when  the  work  is  done  until  the 
moment  of  speech,  and  then  enter  confidently  upon  them 
with  only  such  a momentary  glance  as  will  assure  us 
that  all  is  right — ^this  is  the  method  to  make  our  strength 
fully  available.  This  confidence  while  in  waiting  seems 
to  the  beginner  very  difficult,  but  experience  rapidly 
renders  it  easy.  M.  Bautain  declares  that  he  has  been  | 
repeatedly  so  confident  in  his  preparation  as  to  fall  ^ 
asleep  while  waiting  to  be  summoned  to  the  pulpit ! 

Those  who  misimprove  the  last  moments  by  too  much 
thought  and  solicitude  are  not  the  only  class  of  offen- 


THE  FIRST  MOMENT  OF  SPEECH. 


139 


ders.  Some  persons,  through  mere  indolence,  suffer  the 
fine  lines  of  preparation  which  have  been  traced  with  so 
much  care  to  fade  into  dimness.  This  error  is  not  un- 
frequently  committed  by  those  who  speak  a second  or 
third  time  on  the  same  subject.  Because  they  have  once 
succeeded  they  imagine  that  the  same  success  is  always 
at  command.  No  mistake  could  be  greater.  It  is  not 
enough  to  have  speech-material  in  a position  from  which 
it  can  be  collected  by  a conscious  and  prolonged  effort, 
but  it  must  be  in  the  foreground  of  the  mind.  There  is 
no  time  at  the  moment  of  delivery  for  reviving  half 
obliterated  lines  of  memory. 

The  writer  once  saw  a notable  case  of  failure  from 
this  cause.  A preacher  on  a great  occasion  was  much 
engrossed  with  other  important  duties  until  the  houi 
appointed  for  his  sermon  had  arrived.  With  perfect 
confidence  he  selected  a sketch  from  which  he  had 
preached  a short  time  before  and  with  the  general  course 
of  which  he  was  no  doubt  familiar.  But  when  he 
endeavored  to  produce  his  thoughts  they  were  not  ready. 
He  became  embarrassed,  talked  at  random  for  a short 
time,  and  then  had  the  candor  to  tell  the  audience  that 
he  could  not  finish,  and  to  take  his  seat.  Probably  half 
tn  hour  given  to  reviewing  his  plan  would  have  made 
all  his  previous  preparation  fresh  again,  and  have  spared 
him  the  mor+ification  of  failure. 

In  this  last  interval  it  is  also  well  to  care  for  the 


140  THE  FIEST  MOMENT  OF  SPEECH.  I 

strength  and  vigor  of  the  body,  as  its  condition  greatly 
influences  all  mental  operations.  It  is  said  that  the  i 
pearl-diver,  before  venturing  into  the  depths  of  the  sea,  i 
always  spends  a few  moments  in  deep  breathing  and  I 
other  bodily  preparations.  In  the  excitement  of  speech, 
the  whirl  and  hurricane  of  emotion,  it  is  advisable  to 
be  well  prepared  for  the  high  tension  of  nerve  that  is 
implied.  Mental  excitement  exhausts  and  wears  down 
the  body  faster  than  bodily  labor.  We  must  carefully 
husband  our  strength  that  we  may  be  able  to  meet  all 
demands  upon  it. 

Holy oake  makes  the  following  pertinent  observation 
in  reference  to  this  point : 

Perhaps  the  lowest  q uality  of  the  art  of  oratory, 
but  one  on  many  occasions  of  the  first  importance , is  a 
certain  robust  and  radiant  physical  health ; great  volumes 
of  animal  heat.  In  the  cold  thinness  of  a morning 
audience  mere  energy  and  mellowness  is  inestimable; 
wisdom  and  learning  would  be  harsh  and  unwelcome 
compared  with  a substantial  man,  who  is  quite  a house- 
warmingo^^ 

Fatiguing  and  excessive  exercise  should  be  very  care-  j 
fully  avoided.  Holyoake  illustrates  this  from  his  own  \ 
experience.  He  says : 

One  Saturday  I walked  from  Sheffield  to  Hudders- 
field to  deliver  on  Sunday  two  anniversary  lectures.  It 
was  my  first  appearance  there,  and  I was  ambitious  to 


THE  FTEST  MOMENT  OF  SPEECH.  141 

acquit  myself  well.  But  in  the  morning  I was  utterly 
unable  to  do  more  than  talk  half  inaudibly  and  quite 
incoherently.  In  the  evening  I was  tolerable,  but  my 
voice  was  weak.  My  annoyance  was  excessive.  I was 
a paradox  to  myself.  My  power  seemed  to  come  and  go 
by  some  eccentric  law  of  its  own.  I did  not  find  out 
until  years  after  that  the  utter  exhaustion  of  my  strength 
had  exhausted  the  powers  of  speech  and  thought,  and 
that  entire  repose,  instead  of  entire  fatigue,  should  have 
been  the  preparation  for  public  speaking.^^ 

The  last  statement  is  somewhat  too  strong,  for  abso- 
lute rest  is  not  generally  advisable.  It  would  leave  the 
! speaker,  when  he  began  to  speak,  with  languid  mind  and 
sloAvly  beating  pulse— a state  which  it  would  require 
some  minutes  for  him  to  overcome.  A short,  but  brisk 
walk,  Avhen  the  health  is  good,  will  invigorate  and  refresh 
all  his  faculties,  and  often  prevent  a listless  introduction 
by  giving  him  the  vigor  to  grasp  the  subject  at  once  and 
launch  right  into  the  heart  of  it.  Should  any  person 
; doubt  the  power  of  exercise  to  produce  this  effect,  let 

I him,  when  perplexed  with  difficult  questions  in  his  study, 

I start  out  over  fields  and  hills,  and  review  the  matter  in 

the  open  air.  It  is  a good  thing  to  carry  the  breath  of 

the  fields  into  the  opening  of  our  addresses. 

But  when  the  speaker  cannot  take  this  form  of  exer- 
1 cise  in  the  moments  just  preceding  speech,  he  may  easily 

I find  a substitute  for  it.  If  alone,  he  can  pace  back  and 


142  THE  FIRST  MOMENT  OF  SPEECH. 

forth  and  swing  his  arms  until  the  circulation  becomes 
brisk  and  pours  a stream  of  arterial  blood  to  the  brain. 

Another  simple  exercise  can  be  practiced  anywhere, 
and  will  be  of  great  benefit.  Many  persons  injure 
themselves  by  speaking  too  much  from  the  throat.  This 
is  caused  by  improper,  short,  and  shallow  breathing. 
To  breathe  properly  is  beneficial  at  any  time,  and  does 
much  to  prevent  or  remedy  throat  and  long  disease. 
But  in  the  beginning  of  a speech  it  is  doubly  important: 
when  once  under  way,  there  will  be  no  time  to  think  of 
either  voice  or  breath : the  only  safe  plan,  then,  is  to  have 
the  right  mode  made  habitual  and  instinctive.  This 
will  be  greatly  promoted  if  just  before  beginning  we 
breathe  deeply  for  a few  minutes,  inflating  the  lungs  to 
their  extremities  and  sending  the  warm  blood  to  the  very 
tips  of  the  fingers. 

Having  now  done  all  we  can  in  advance,  nothing  re- 
mains but  to  rise  and  speak.  Preparation  and  precau- 
tion are  passed.  Actual  work — ^the  most  joyous,  thrill- 
ing, and  spiritual  of  all  human  tasks — ^is  now  to  be  en- 
tered upon. 


i 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

The  Intkoduction. 

The  time  for  the  speech  having  arrived,  we  will  now 
consider  its  separate  parts.  No  division  is  better  for  our 
purpose  than  that  employed  in  a previous  part  of  this 
work — a three-fold  division  into  introduction,  discussion, 
and  conclusion. 

A good  introduction  is  exceedingly  valuable,  and  is  to 
be  sought  for  with  great  solicitude,  if  it  does  not  spon- 
taneously present  itself.  Some  kind  of  an  introduction 
is  inevitable,  for  there  will  always  be  a first  moment 
when  silence  is  broken,  and  our  thoughts  introduced. 
The  subsiding  murmur  of  the  audience  tells  the  speaker 
that  the  time  of  his  trial  has  come.  If  he  is  very  sensi- 
tive, or  if  he  has  seldom,  if  ever,  spoken  before,  his 
pulse  beats  fast,  his  face  flushes,  and  an  indescribable 
feeling  of  faintness  and  fear  thrills  every  nerve.  He 
may  wish  himself  anywhere  else,  but  there  is  now  no 
help  for  him.  He  must  arise,  and  for  the  time  stand  as 
the  mark  for  all  eyes  and  the  subject  of  all  thoughts. 

There  is  a vast  difference  between  reciting  and  extem- 
porizing in  these  opening  moments,  and  the  advantage 
seems  to  be  altogether  on  the  side  of  recitation.  Every 
word  is  in  its  proper  place  and  the  speaker  may  be  per- 

143 


144 


THE  INTEODUCTION. 


fectly  calm  and  self-collected.  He  is  sure  that  his 
memory  will  not  fail  him  in  the  opening,  and  encouraged 
by  that  assurance,  will  usually  throw  his  whole  power 
into  his  first  sentences,  causing  his  voice  to  ring  clear 
and  loud  over  the  house. 

The  extemporizer  is  in  a far  more  difficult  position. 
He  is  sure  of  nothing.  The  weight  of  the  whole  speech 
rests  heavily  upon  his  mind.  He  is  glancing  ahead, 
striving  to  forecast  the  coming  sentences,  as  well  as 
carrying  forward  those  gliding  over  the  tongue,  and,  dis- 
tracted by  this  double  labor,  his  first  expressions  may  be 
feeble  and  ungraceful.  Yet  this  modesty  and  timidity  is 
no  real  loss : it  goes  far  to  conciliate  an  audience  and 
secure  their  good-will.  We  can  scarcely  fail  to  dis- 
tinguish memorized  from  extemporized  discourses  by 
the  introduction  alone. 

To  avoid  the  pain  and  hesitancy  of  an  unelaborated 
beginning,  some  speakers  write  and  memorize  the  open- 
ing passage.  This  may  accomplish  the  immediate  object, 
but  it  is  apt  to  be  at  the  expense  of  all  the  remainder  of 
the  discourse.  The  mind  cannot  pass  easily  from  reciting 
to  spontaneous  origination ; and  the  voice,  being  too  freely 
used  at  first,  loses  its  power.  The  hearers,  having  list- 
ened to  highly  polished  language,  are  less  disposed  to 
relish  the  plain  words  that  follow,  and  the  whole  speech, 
which,  lilvc  the  Alpine  condor,  may  have  pitched  from 
the  loftiest  summits,  falls  fast  and  far,  until  the  lowest 


THE  INTEOBTJCTION. 


level  is  reached.  A written  introduction  may  be  modest 
and  unpretending,  but  unless  it  very  closely  imitates 
unstudied  speech,  painful  contrasts  and  disappointments 
are  inevitable. 

One  mode  of  avoiding  these  difficulties  is  to  make  no 
formal  introduction,  but  to  plunge  at  once  into  the  heart  of 
the  subject.  Sometimes,  when  the  minds  of  speaker  and 
hearer  are  already  absorbed  by  the  same  general  topic, 
as  in  the  midst  of  a heated  political  canvass,  this  mode 
.is  very  good.  Under  such  circumstances,  an  interest 
may  soon  be  aroused  which  removes  all  embarrassment. 
But  usually  the  speaker’s  mind  is  full  of  a subject  which 
is  unfamiliar  and  indifferent  to  his  hearers.  It  then 
behooves  him  to  find  some  mode  of  gaining  their  atten- 
tion and  sympathy  before  he  takes  the  risk  of  arousing 
a prejudice  against  his  subject  which  he  might  afterward 
strive  in  vain  to  overcome.  If  something  is  found  which 
can  be  made  to  bear  some  relation  to  his  subject,  witliout 
too  violent  straining,  and  which  already  excites  interest 
in  their  minds,  it  will  be  far  better  to  begin  with  that, 
and  lead  them  to  the  proper  theme  when  their  attention 
has  been  thoroughly  aroused. 

The  introduction  should  not  be  left  to  the  diance  of 
the  moment.  It  may  often,  with  great  propriety,  be 
prepared  after  all  other  parts  of  the  speech  are  planned  . 
But  with  even  more  care  than  is  given  to  any  other  por- 
tion should  the  introduction  be  prearranged.  When 


146 


THE  INTEODUCTION. 


once  the  wings  of  eloquence  are  fully  spread  we  may  soai 
above  all  obstructions ; but  in  starting  it  is  well  to  be 
assured  that  the  ground  is  clear  about  us. 

It  is  only  the  substance  and  not  the  words  of  the  in- 
troduction that  should  be  prepared.  A single  sentence 
may  be  mentally  forecast,  but  much  beyond  would  be 
harmful;  and  even  this  sentence  should  be  simple 
and  easily  understood.  Anything  that  needs  explana-- 
tion  is  very  much  out  of  place.  Neither  should  the 
introduction  be  so  striking  as  to  be  the  part  of  the  dis- 
course longest  remembered.  Rather  than  permit  the 
attention  to  be  distracted  in  that  manner,  it  would  be 
better  to  have  no  introduction. 

A speaker  gains  much  if  he  can  at  the  outset  arrest 
the  attention  and  win  the  sympathy  of  his  hearers  and 
then  carry  these  over  to  his  pi’oper  subject.  But  it  may 
be  assumed  as  certain,  that  no  kind  of  an  apology  will 
accomplish  this  object — unless,  indeed,  the  spcakei  is 
such  a favorite  that  everything  in  regard  to  his  health 
or  position  is  an  olgect  of  deep  solicitude  to  his  audience. 
A popular  speakei  who  happens  to  be  late  and  apologizes 
for  it  by  explaining  that  he  had  just  escaped  from  a terrible 
railroad  accident  would  make  a good  introduction.  A 
loved  pastor,  in  his  first  sermon  after  serious  illness, 
might  properly  begin  by  talking  of  his  amendment  and 
his  joy  at  addressing  his  flock  again.  But  tliese  are  rare 
exceptions.  The  speaker  abont  to  make  any  kind  of  an 


THE  INTKODUCTION. 


147 


apology  or  personal  reference  as  an  introduction,  may 
well  heed  Punches  advice  to  persons  about  to  be  married: 
“ Don^t/^ 

In  many  instances  it  is  not  easy  to  get  the  mere  atten- 
tion of  an  audience.  They  come  together  from  many 
different  employments  with  thoughts  engaged  upon 
various  topics,  and  it  is  difficult  to  remove  distracting 
influences  and  fix  all  minds  upon  one  subject.  Some- 
times a startling  proposition,  in  the  nature  of  a challenge, 
will  secure  the  object.  Earnestness  in  the  speaker  goes 
far  toward  it.  But  above  everything  else,  sameness  and 
monotony  must  be  carefully  avoided.  When  the  same 
audience  is  frequently  addressed,  variety  becomes  essen- 
tial. The  writer  knew  of  a minister  who  made  it  a 
rule  to  consider  the  nature,  reason,  and  manner  of  his 
subjects,  in  answer  to  the  supposed  questions  : What 

is  it?  Why  i§  it?  How  is  it?’’  The  eloquence  of 
Paul  could  not  often  have  redeemed  the  faults  of  such 
an  arrangement. 

Some  inattention  may  be  expected  and  patiently  borne 
with  at  first.  Part  of  the  opening  words  may  be  lost — 
an  additional  reason  for  not  making  them  of  capital  im- 
portance to  the  address.  It  is  useless  to  try  by  loud 
tones  and  violent  manner  to  dispel  indifference.  If  the 
speaker’s  words  have  real  weight,  and  if  his  manner  indi- 
cates confidence,  one  by  one  the  audience  will  listen,  until 
that  electric  thrill  of  sympathy,  impossible  to  describe. 


148 


THE  IJSTRODUCTION. 


but  which  is  as  evident  to  the  practiced  orator  as  an 
accord  in  music,  tells  him  that  every  ear  is  open  to  his 
words,  and  that  his  thoughts  are  occupying  every  mind.  ^ , 
Then  the  orator^s  power  is  fully  developed,  and  if  him- 
self and  his  theme  are  equal  to  the  occasion  it  is  delight-  |i 

ful  to  use  that  power.  This  silent,  pulsating  interest  is  i 

more  to  be  desired  than  vehement  applause,  for  it  cannot  i| 
be  counterfeited,  and  it  indicates  that  the  heart  of  the  || 
assembly  has  been  reached  and  melted  by  the  fire  of  I 
eloquence,  and  is  now  ready  to  be  molded  into  any  ^ 
desired  form.  | [ 

There  are  two  or  three  general  subjects  available  for  } ^ 

introduction  which  every  speaker  would  do  well  to  study  i | 

carefully,  and  which  will  do  much  to  furnish  him  with  \ | 
the  means  of  properly  approaching  his  theme.  We  will 
mention  the  most  useful  of  these,  premising  that  no  one  I 
mode  should  be  depended  upon  to  the  exclusion  of  others.  | 

A good  mode  of  introduction  consists  in  a compliment 
to  an  audience.  When  a truthful  and  manly  compliment 
can  be  given  it  is  a most  pleasant  and  agreeable  step 
toward  the  good-will  of  those  we  address ; but  if  used  on 
all  occasions  indiscriminately,  it  is  meaningless ; if  trans- 
parently false,  it  is  repulsive  and  disgusting ; but  when 
true,  there  is  no  reason  why  it  should  not  be  employed. 

There  are  several  good  introductions  of  the  compli- 
mentary character  in  the  24th  and  26th  chapters  of  Acts. 
When  the  orator,  Tertullus,  accused  Paul,  he  began  by 


THE  INTRODUCTION. 


149 


skillful^  but,  from  the  standpoint  of  his  clients,  very  in- 
sincere flattery : 

Seeing  that  by  thee  we  enjoy  great  quietness,  and 
that  very  worthy  deeds  are  done  unto  this  nation  by 
thy  providence,  we  accept  it  always,  and  in  all  places, 
most  noble  Felix,  with  all  thankfulness.^^ 

No  fault  can  be  found  with  the  form  of  this  introduc- 
tion, but  it  was  untrue,  for  the  men  in  whose  names  it 
was  made  were  the  very  reverse  of  thankful  to  the 
Roman  Governor. 

Paul  was  far  too  skillful  to  lose  the  advantage  of 
beginning  his  address  with  a compliment,  and  too  honest 
to  give  a false  one.  There  was  one  fact  over  which  he 
could  rejoice.  Felix  had  been  long  enough  in  office  to 
know  the  ways  of  his  enemies ; so  Paul  uses  that  as  an 
effective  and  truthful  compliment,  while  professing  his 
own  confidence  in  his  cause. 

Forasmuch  as  I know  that  thou  hast  been  for 
many  years  a J udge  unto  this  nation,  I do  the  more 
cheerfully  answer  for  myself,  because  that  thou  mayest 
understand. 

In  the  same  exquisite  combination  of  truthfulness  and 
compliment  to  a bad  man,  Paul  begins  his  address  when 
before  King  Agrippa : 

I think  myself  happy.  King  Agrippa,  because  I 
shall  answer  for  myself  this  day  before  thee,  touching  all 
I the  things  whereof  I am  accused  of  the  Jews ; especially 


150 


THE  INTEODUCTION. 


because  I know  thee  to  be  expert  in  all  customs  and 
questions  which  are  among  the  Jews;  wherefore,  I be- 
seech thee  to  hear  me  patiently.” 

It  should  always  be  remembered,  however,  that  com- 
pliments, even  in  the  estimation  of  those  complimented, 
are  only  grateful  in  proportion  to  their  judicious  char- 
acter. Their  hollowness,  if  insincere,  is  easily  detected 
and  thoroughly  despised. 

Effective  introductions  can  also  be  constructed  from 
those  topics  of  the  day  which  may  be  supposed  to  fill  all 
minds.  .A.  few  words  on  such  subjects,  falling  in  with 
the  general  current  of  thought,  may  easily  lead  up  to  the 
orator’s  special  topic.  The  newspapers  may  thus  furnish 
us,  especially  while  some  striking  event  is  yet  recent, 
with  the  means  of  arresting  the  attention  of  newspaper 
readers  at  our  first  words. 

Another  good  mode  of  introduction  is  that  of  locality. 
The  people  of  any  town  may  be  presumed  familiar  with 
the  objects  or  events  of  interest  for  which  their  own 
place  is  celebrated.  A ludicrous  instance  of  this  is  nar- 
rated of  the  eloquent  Daniel  Webster.  He  had  visited 
lSria<rara  Falls  and  was  to  make  an  oration  at  Buffalo  the 

o 

same  day,  but,  unfortunately,  he  sat  too  long  over  the 
wine  after  dinner.  When  he  arose  to  speak,  the  ora- 
torical instinct  struggled  with  difficulties,  as  he  declared, 
“Gentlemen,  I have  been  to  look  upon  your  mag— 
^^ag — magnificent  cataract,  one  hundred  and  forty 


THE  INTKODUCTION. 


151 


seven — feet  high!  Gentlemen,  Greece  and  Rome  in 
their  palmiest  days  never  had  a cataract  one  hundred — > 
and  forty — seven — feet  high  1’^ 

Another  mode  of  introduction  which  may  be  very  use- 
ful under  proper  restrigtions  is  that  of  citing  some  rele- 
vant remark  made  by  an  author  whose  name  carries  great 
weight,  or  so  pointed  in  itself  as  to  at  once  arrest  attention. 
A great  picture,  some  feature  of  a landscape,  a great  his- 
torical event,  may  be  cited  in  the  same  way.  This 
method  of  citation  is  capable  of  very  wide  application. 
If  the  sentiment  or  impression  made  by  the  citation  is 
directly  opposite  to  that  which  the  speaker  wishes  to  pro- 
duce this  will  increase  rather  than  diminish  interest,  as 
the  enjoyment  of  contrast  and  controversy  is  very  keen; 
but  the  speaker  should  feel  confident  of  his  ability  to 
overcome  the  influence  of  the  citation  when  thus  hostile. 
A favorite  introduction  to  abolition  lectures  in  a former 
generation  was  the  quotation  of  some  strong  and  shocking 
declaration  of  the  rightfulness  or  beneficence  of  slavery. 

The  last  mode  of  introduction  we  will  notice  is  very 
similar  in  character  and  may  be  termed  that  of  percep- 
tion. Something  has  been  seen,  heard,  or  imagined  by 
the  speaker,  which,  because  of  its  simple,  tangible  char- 
acter, is  easily  grasped,  and  yet  leads  by  some  subtle  an- 
alogy  to  his  topic.  He  has  seen  a ragged,  desolate  boy 
on  the  street;  he  describes  that  poor  fellow  to  his  audience; 
and  then  finds  them  far  more  ready  to  listen  to  a plea 


152 


THE  INTEODUCTION. 


for  orphan  asylums^  for  education^  for  better  city  gov 
eminent,  for  anything  which  can  have  any  bearing  upon 
the  welfare  of  the  boy. 

Here,  then,  are  five  principles  upon  which  appropriate 
introductions  may  be  constructed.  Many  others  might 
be  named,  but  these  cover  a wide  range  and  may  be  very 
usefuL  They  are : 

1.  Compliments. 

2.  Current  Events. 

3.  Local  Allusion. 

4.  Citations. 

5.  Things  seen,  heard,  or  imagined. 

A great  calamity  may  come  to  a speaker  from  a bad 
introduction.  Speakers  who  are  great  in  everything  else 
often  fail  at  this  point.  Some  make  their  introductions 
too  complicated,  and  thus  defeat  their  own  end,  as  surely 
as  the  engineer  who  gives  his  railroad  such  steep  grades 
that  no  train  can  pass  over  it.  Others  deliver  a string 
of  mere  platitudes  and  weary  their  audience  from  the 
beginning. 

When  from  these  or  other  causes  our  address  is  mis- 
begun,  the  consequences  may  be  serious.  The  thouglit 
settles  upon  the  speaker  with  icy  weight  tliat  he  is  fail- 
ing. This  conviction  paralyzes  all  his  faculties.  He 
talks  on,  but  grows  more  and  more  embarrassed.  Inco- 
herent sentences  are  stammered  out  which  require  painful 
explanation  to  prevent  them  from  degenerating  into 


THE  INTRODUCTION. 


153 


perfect  nonsense.  The  outline  of  his  plan  dissolves  into 
mist.  The  points  he  intended  to  make  which  seemed 
strong  and  important  now  look  trivial.  With  little  hope 
ahead  he  blunders  on.  The  room  grows  dark  before 
him,  and  in  the  excess  of  his  misery  he  longs  for  the 
time  when  he  can  close  without  absolute  disgrace.  But 
alas ! the  end  seems  far  off,  and  he  searches  in  vain  for 
some  avenue  of  escape.  There  is  none.  His  throat 
becomes  dry  and  parched,  and  command  of  voice  is  lost. 
The  audience  grow  restive,  for  they  are  tortured  as  well 
as  the  speaker,  and  if  he  were  malicious  and  had  time  to 
think  about  it,  he  might  find  some  alleviation  in  that. 
No  one  can  help  him.  At  length,  in  sheer  desperation, 
he  does  what  he  ought  to  have  done  long  before — simply 
stops  and  sits  down — perhaps  hurling  some  swelling 
morsel  of  commonplace,  as  a parting  volley,  at  the  au- 
dience— bathed  in  sweat,  and  feeling  that  he  is  disgraced 
forever ! If  he  is  very  weak  or  foolish,  he  resolves 
never  to  speak  again  without  having  every  word  written 
out  before  him ; if  wiser,  he  only  resolves,  not  only  to 
understand  his  speech,  but  how  to  begin  it. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Peogress  of  the  Speech. 

The  passage  from  the  introduction  to  the  discussion 
should  be  made  smoothly  and  gradually.  To  accom- 
plish this,  and  to  strike  the  subject  at  just  the  right 
angle,  continuing  all  the  interest  previously  excited,  is  a 
most  important  achievement.  A definite  object  is  a great 
assistance  in  this  part  of  the  work.  If  the  object  is 
clearly  in  view,  we  go  right  up  to  it  with  no  wasted 
words,  and  the  people  follow  our  guidance  because  they 
see  that  we  are  not  proceeding  at  random.  But  with  no 
strong  purpose  we  are  apt  to  steer  about  our  subject 
without  ever  being  quite  ready  to  enter  upon  it.  The 
more  brilliant  the  introduction  the  more  difficult  this 
transition  will  be.  But  all  these  difficulties  may  be 
overcome  with  the  aid  of  a well-constructed  plan,  and 
then  all  the  triumphs  of  oratory  are  before  us. 

There  is  great  pleasure  in  speaking  well.  An  assembly 
hanging  on  the  words  and  thinking  the  thoughts  of  a 
single  man,  gives  to  him  the  most  subtle  kind  of  flattery. 
But  he  must  not  inhale  its  fragrance  heedlessly,  or  his 
fall  will  be  speedy  and  disastrous.  The  triumphs  of 
oratory  are  very  fascinating — the  ability  to  sway  our 
fellows  at  pleasure,  to  bind  them  willing  captives  with 

154 


PROGEESS  OP  THE  SPEECH. 


155 


tlie  strong  chain  of  our  thought — produces  a delirious 
and  intoxicating  sense  of  power.  But  in  the  best  of 
instances  such  achievements  are  very  transient^  and  unless 
taken  advantage  of  at  the  moment  to  work  our  cherished 
purposes,  the  opportunity  is  lost.  Even  during  a single 
address  it  is  hard  to  maintain  the  influence  of  a happy 
moment.  Speakers  sometimes  utter  a great  and  noble 
thought  and  the  nameless  thrill  of  eloquence  is  felt,  but 
some  irrelevant  phrase  or  common-place  sentiment  dis- 
solves the  charm.  To  avoid  this,  the  whole  discourse 
must  be  animated  with  some  controlling  purpose,  and  in 
its  general  character,  tend  upward,  until  its  close. 

The  law  of  climax  ought  to  be  carefully  considered  by 
the  speaker.  There  may  be  more  than  one  culmination  of 
interest  in  an  address,  separated  by  an  interval  less  absorb- 
ing and  powerful,  but  this  decline  should  only  be  allowed 
in  order  to  prepare  a second  or  third  climax  grander  than 
all  before.  To  violate  this  rule  and  have  a speech 
flatten  out  toward  its  close,  is  a fearful  error.  Better 
reduce  the  length  of  the  whole  by  one-half  or  three- 
fourths,  and  maintain  interest  and  attention  to  the  end. 

A few  miscellaneous  considerations  in  regard  to  the 
style  and  manner  of  the  speech  may  be  inserted  here  as 
well  as  anywhere. 

Difiuseness  is  often  supposed  to  be  a necessary  quality 
of  extemporaneous  speech.  Many  speakers  do  fall  into 
it,  but  they  need  not.  They  are  diffuse  because  they 


166  PEOGllESS  OF  THE  SPEECH. 

are  unwilling  cr  unable  to  say  exactly  what  they  mean, 
but  come  near  it^  and  continue  their  elForts  until  they 
are  satisfied.  They  furnish  no  clear  view  of  any  idea, 
but  only  a kind  of  twilight  illumination.  This  seri- 
ous fault  may  be  overcome  in  spontaneous  speech  as 
readily  as  in  writing.  He  who  thinks  clearly  and 
forcibly  will  talk  in  the  same  manner.  Exquisite  finish 
and  elaborate  verbal  arrangement  are  not  to  be  looked 
for  in  off-hand  speech,  but  each  idea  may  be  expressed 
with  great  force,  vigor,  and  accuracy  of  shading. 

This  ability  to  say  precisely  what  we  mean  in  few 
words,  and  at  the  first  effort,  constitutes  one  of  the  great 
beauties  of  a spoken  style.  The  hearer  is  filled  with 
grateful  surprise  when  some  new  and  living  idea  is  sud- 
denly placed  before  him  clothed  in  a single  word  or 
sentence.  A diffuse  speaker  gives  so  many  premonitions 
of  his  thought  that  the  audience  have  guessed  it,  and 
may  even  come  to  believe  that  they  have  always  known 
it,  before  he  has  made  his  formal  presentment.  Of 
course,  they  are  wearied,  and  never  give  him  credit  for 
an  original  conception. 

If  troubled  with  this  fault,  frequently  forecast  w^hat 
to  say;  drive  it  into  the  smallest  number  of  vivid, 
expressive  words ; then,  without  memorizing  the  lan- 
guage, reproduce  the  same  thought  briefly  in  the  hurry 
of  speech.  If  not  successful  in  making  it  as  brief  as 
before,  repeat  the  effort.  This  exercise  will,  in  time. 


PROGRESS  OP  THE  SPEECH. 


157 


give  the  ability  to  condense.  But  to  exercise  it  the  temp- 
tation to  fine  language  must  be  overcome.  No  sentence 
should  be  introduced  for  mere  glitter  or  sparkle:  a 
single  unnecessary  word  may  require  others  to  justify  or 
explain  it,  and  thus  may  ruin  a whole  discourse.  The 
danger  of  showy  language  in  speech  is  far  greater  than 
in  writing,  for  if  the  writer  be  drawn  too  far  away  from 
his  subject  he  can  strike  out  the  offending  sentences  and 
begin  again,  while  the  speaker  has  but  one  trial.  If 
beauty  lies  in  his  way,  well ; but  if  not,  he  should  never 

abandon  his  course  to  seek  it. 

We  have  seen  many  directions  for  “expanding 
thought,”  and  have  heard  young  speakers  admire  the 
ease  and  grace  of  such  expansion.  But  thoughts  are 
not  like  medicines  which  require  dilution  to  be  more 
palatable.  It  is  better  to  give  the  essence  of  an  idea 
and  go  on  to  something  else.  There  should  be  clear  and 
ample  expression;  condensation  carried  to  the  point  of 
obscurity  would  be  a fault ; but  nothing  more  than  clear- 
ness is  needed.  If  thoughts  are  few  it  is  better  to  delve 
for  others  rather  than  to  attenuate  and  stretch  what  we 
have. 

A popular  error  exists  as  to  the  kind  of  language  best 
adapted  to  the  purposes  of  oratory.  High-sonndiug 
epithets  and  Latinized  words  are  considered  the  fitting 
medium  of  speech.  These  may  overawe  ignorant 
hearers,  but  can  never  strike  the  chords  of  living  sym- 


158 


PROGEESS  OP  THE  SPEECH. 


pathy  which  bind  all  hearts  together.  If  we  use  terms 
hard  to  be  understood  the  effort  put  forth  by  hearers  to 
master  their  meaning  is  just  so  much  subtracted  from  the 
force  of  the  address.  The  homely  Saxon  words  that 
dwell  on  the  lips  of  the  people  will  unload  their  wealtli 
of  meaning  in  the  heart  as  soon  as  the  sound  strikes  the 
ear.  Uncommon  words  build  a barrier  around  thought ; 
familiar  ones  are  like  a railroad  over  which  it  glides 
swiftly  to  its  destination. 

All  debased  and  slang  words  should  be  rejected,  unless 
the  speech  is  to  partake  of  the  nature  of  burlesque: 
we  do  not  advocate  ^Hhe  familiarity  that  breeds  con- 
tempt this  is  also  a hurtful  extreme.  The  two  great 
requisites  in  the  use  of  words  are  that  they  should 
exactly  express  our  ideas,  and  that  they  should  be 
familiar:  the  charms  of  melody  and  association  are 
not  to  be  despised,  but  they  are  secondary. 

Every  speech  should  have  its  strong  points,  upon 
which  especial  reliance  is  placed.  A skillful  general 
has  his  choice  battalions  reserved  to  pierce  the  enemy^s 
line  at  the  decisive  moment,  and  win  the  battle.  In  both 
the  physical  and  the  mental  contest,  it  is  important  to 
place  these  reserves  aright  that  all  their  weight  may  be 
felt. 

A crisis  occurs  in  nearly  all  living  addresses — a 
moment  in  which  a strong  argument  or  a fervid  appeal 
will  accomplish  our  purpose — just  as  a vigorous  charge, 


PROGRESS  OF  TtlE  SPEECH. 


159 


or  the  arrival  of  reinforcements^  will  turn  the  doubtful 
scale  of  battle.  The  speaker,  from  the  opening  of  his 
speech,  should  have  his  object  clearly  in  view  and  drive 
steadily  toward  it,  and  when  within  reach,  put  forth  his 
whole  power  in  a mighty  effort,  achieving  the  result  for 
which  the  whole  speech  was  devised.  If  the  right 
opportuuity  is  neglected  it  seldom  returns,  and  an  hour’s 
talk  may  fail  to  accomplish  as  much  as  one  good  burning 
sentence  thrown  in  at  the  right  time.  Much  talk  after 
the  real  purpose  of  an  address  is  accomplished  also  is 
useless  and  even  perilous. 

It  has  all  along  been  taken  for  granted  that  the 
speaker  has  something  worthy  to  say.  Without  this  a 
serious  address  deserves  no  success,  although  under  some 
circumstances  nothing  but  sound  to  tickle  the  ears  is 
desired.  Such  speeches  are  well  enough  in  their  way, 
but  they  rank  with  the  performances  on  the  piano  by 
which  a young  lady  entertains  her  uncritical  visitors. 
They  cannot  be  called  speeches  in  any  real  sense.  The  fact 
that  a speaker  has  a solid  and  worthy  foundation  of 
knowledge  and  an  adequate  purpose  gives  him  confidence. 
He  knows  that  if  his  words  are  not  instinct  with  music, 
and  if  the  pictures  of  his  fancy  are  not  painted  in  the 
brightest  colors,  he  has  yet  a just  claim  upon  the  atten- 
tion of  his  hearers. 

It  is  not  necessary  that  the  orator’s  thoughts  should 
be  exceedingly  profound;  the  most  vital  truths  lie  near 


160 


PKOGRESS  OF  THE  SPEECH. 


the  surface,  within  reach  of  all.  But  most  men  do  not 
dwell  long  enough  upon  one  subject  to  master  its  obvious 
features,  and  when  some  one  does  fully  gather  up  and 
fairly  present  what  belongs  to  a worthy  theme  it  is  like 
a new  revelation.  A good  illustration  of  this  is  found 
in  the  sublimity  Dean  Stanley  imparts  to  the  story  of 
the  Exodus  of  Israel.  Few  new  facts  are  presented,  but 
these  are  so  arranged  and  vivified  by  a thoughtful  mind 
that  the  subject  glows  into  new  meaning.  The  extem- 
2)oraneous  S2)caker  may  have  abundant  time  for  such 
study  of  every  topic  within  his  range  of  addresses,  and  if 
he  uses  it  aright,  he  can  soon  wield  a charm  far  beyond 
any  jingling  combination  of  words. 

When  an  orator  stands  before  an  audience,  shall  he 
expect  to  overwhelm  them  by  his  eloquence?  Such 
a result  is  jiossible  but  not  probable;  and  it  can  never  be 
safely  calculated  upon.  If  persons  attenq)t  to  be  greatly 
eloquent  on  all  occasions,  they  arc  aj)!  to  end  by  becom- 
ing ridiculous.  Good  sense  and  solid  usefulness  are  bet- 
ter objects  of  endeavor. 

Any  man  who  studies  a subject  until  he  knows  more 
about  it  than  his  neighbors  can  interest  them  in  a fire- 
side explanation,  if  they  care  for  the  subject  at  all : he 
tells  his  facts  in  a plain  style  and  is  understood.  Many 
persons  will  listen  delighted  to  a man’s  conversation 
until  midnight,  but  will  fall  asleep  in  ten  minutes  if  he 
!:ries  to  make  a speech  to  them.  In  the  first  case  he 


PKiyGEESS  OF  THE  SPEECH. 


161 


talks,  and  is  £/imple  and  unaffected ; in  the  other  he  speaks 
and  feels  that  he  fuust  use  a style  stiffened  up  for  the 
occasion. 

When  Henry  Clay  was  asked  how  he  became  so  elo- 
quent, he  said  that  he  could  tell  nothing  about  it ; all  he 
knew  was  that  when  he  commenced  an  address  he  had 
only  the  desire  to  speak  what  he  had  prepared  (liot 
memorized),  and  adhered  to  this  line  of  preparation 
until  he  was  enwrapped  in  the  subject,  and  carried  away, 
he  knew  not  how.  This  was  a good  course,  for  if  the 
extraordinary  inspiration  did  not  come,  a good  and  sen- 
sible speech  was  secured  at  any  rate. 

Some  of  these  considerations  may  be  of  service  if 
weighed  in  advance,  but  when  the  speaker  once  ascends 
the  platform  he  must  rely  on  his  own  tact  for  the  manage- 
ment of  all  details.  Closely  observing  the  condition 
of  the  audience,  and  taking  advantage  of  every  favor- 
ing element,  he  moves  steadily  toward  his  object.  With 
an  unobstructed  road  before  him,  which  he  has  traveled 
in  thought  until  it  is  familiar,  he  will  advance  with 
ease  and  certainty.  As  he  looks  upon  interested  faces, 
new  ideas  arise,  and  if  fitting,  are  woven  into  har- 
mony with  previous  preparations,  often  with  thrilling 
(effect.  Each  emotion  enkindled  by  sympathy  embodies 
itself  in  w^ords  that  move  the  heart  as  prepared  language 
'i!)Ould  not  do,  and  each  moment  his  own  conviction  sinks 
deeper  into  the  hearts  of  his  hearers. 


162 


PROGKESS  OF  THE  SPEECH. 


There  are  three  principal  ways  of  concluding  a speech 
One  of  the  most  graceful  is  to  condense  a clear  view  ol 
the  whole  argument  and  tendency  of  the  address  into  a 
few  words^  and  leave  the  summing  up  thus  made  to  pro- 
duce  its  own  effect.  Discourses  aiming  principally  to 
produce  conviction  may  very  well  be  concluded  in  this 
manner.  To  throw  the  whole  sweep  of  an  argument, 
every  point  of  which  has  been  previously  elaborated, 
into  a few  telling  sentences  will  contribute  powerfully  to 
make  the  impression  permanent. 

Another  and  very  common  mode  is  to  close  with  an 
application  or  with  practical  remarks.  When  the  address 
is  a sermcm,  this  form  of  closing  is  frequently  termed  an 
exhortation,  and  the  whole  speech  is  made  to  bear  upon 
the  duty  of  the  moment.  The  conclusion  should  be 
closely  connected  with  the  remainder  of  the  address:  if 
it  be  so  general  in  character  as  to  fit  any  speech  it  will  be 
of  little  service  to  any. 

A conclusion  should  always  be  short  and  contain  no  new 
matter.  Few  things  are  more  disastrous  than  the  practice 
of  drawing  toward  an  end  and  then  launching  out 
into  a new  discussion.  All  good  things  that  liave  been 
said,  all  previous  favorable  impressions,  are  obliterated 
by  this  capital  fault.  We  should  be  careful  to  finish  the 
discussion  of  our  theme  before  we  indicate  that  the  con- 
clusion has  been  reached.  And  if,  at  the  moment  of 
finishing,  we  happen  to  think  of  anything,  however 


PROGRESS  OP  THE  SPEECH. 


163 


vital,  which  has  been  omitted,  it  had  better  be  left  to 
another  time  and  place  altogether. 

A third  method  of  closing  is  to  simply  break  off  when 
the  last  item  is  finished.  The  full  development  of  the  dis- 
course is  thus  made  its  ending,  care  being  taken  that  the 
last  item  discussed  shall  be  of  weight  and  dignity.  This 
is  by  no  means  the  easiest  form  of  conclusion,  but  rightly 
managed  it  is  one  of  the  most  effective. 

O 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


After  the  Speech. 

When  a fervent  and  successful  discourse  has  been  con- 
cluded there  comes  a feeling  of  inexpressible  relief.  The 
burden  of  an  important  speech  rests  witli  accumulating 
force  upon  the  mind  from  the  time  the  subject  is  chosen 
until  it  becomes  well-nigh  intolerable.  When  speech 
actually  begins  every  power  is  called  into  play  and  ex- 
erted to  its  utmost  capacity.  The  excitement  of  the 
conflict  hurries  the  speaker  on,  and  although  he  may  not 
at  the  time  realize  the  gigantic  exertions  put  forth,  yet 
when  he  pauses  at  length,  perhaps  exhausted,  but  with 
the  victory  won,  the  sense  of  rest,  relief,  and  security,  is 
exceedingly  delightful. 

After  such  an  eflbrt  both  mind  and  body  do  need  rest. 
There  are  speakers  who  profess  to  feel  no  fatigue  after 
an  hoiir^s  labor,  but  these  are  seldom  in  the  front  rank 
of  orators.  If  the  soul  has  been  aroused  and  all  the 
man’s  faculties  bent  to  the  accomplishment  of  a great 
purpose,  relaxation  is  often  followed  by  a sense  of  utter 
prostration.  Nothing  better  for  the  moment  can  be 
advised  than  to  abandon  one’s  self  to  the  luxury  of  utter 
repose.  Social  intercourse  and  all  distractions  should  as 
far  as  possible  be  avoided.  If  circumstances  permit,  a 

164 


AFTEE  THE  SPEECH. 


165 


short  sleep,  if  but  for  a few  minutes,  will  afford  great 
relief;  and  in  most  cases  sleep  will  come  if  wisely 
ooLirted. 

After  resting,  it  is  well  to  ponder  closely  the  lessons 
derived  from  each  new  experience  in  speaking.  To  in- 
dulge in  exultation  over  success  or  to  lament  over  fail- 
ure is  not  profitable.  The  speaker  is  not  a perfect  judge 
of  either.  He  has  probably  done  the  best  he  could  at 
the  time,  and  there  the  case  should  rest,  except  so  far  as 
he  sees  the  need  or  the  means  of  future  improvement. 

But  judgment  of  success  or  failure  cannot  easily  be 
avoided.  If  the  speaker’s  standard  is  low,  he  may  pass 
beyond  it  without  accomplishing  anything  worthy  of 
high  praise:  or  if  he  is  despondent  in  nature  he  may 
have  expected  little  and  may  now  feel  correspondingly 
elated  because  he  has  exceeded  his  very  moderate  expecta- 
tions. But  it  is  a curious  fact  that  speakers  are  often 
least  pleased  with  their  best  speeches.  In  the  mightiest 
efforts  of  the  mind  the  standard  is  placed  very  high — 
perhaps  beyond  the  possibility  of  attainment — and  the 
speaker  works  with  his  eyes  fixed  upon  that  summit, 
ind  probably,  after  all  his  exertions,  sees  it  shining  still 
far  above  him.  His  ideas  are  but  half  expressed;  he 
is  mortified  that  there  should  be  such  a difference 
between  conception  and  realization.  But  his  hearers 
have  been  led  over  untrodden  fields  of  thought,  and 
knowing  nothing  of  the  grander  heights  still  above  the 


166 


AFTER  THE  SPEECH. 


orator’s  head,  they  are  naturally  filled  with  enthusiasm, 
and  cannot  enter  into  the  feelings  of  the  speaker  if  he  is 
foolish  enough  to  tell  them  of  his  disappointment. 

This  is  the  reason  that  we  are  least  able  to  judge  of 
the  success  of  speeches  that  have  been  long  meditated 
and  thoroughly  prepared.  The  subject  expands  as  we 
study,  its  outlines  becoming  grander  and  vaster  until  they 
pass  beyond  our  power  of  adequate  representation.  Each 
separate  thought  in  the  whole  discussion  that  is  fully 
mastered  becomes  familiar,  and  is  not,  therefore,  valued 
at  its  true  worth.  Sometimes,  when  we  begin  to  speak 
with  little  thought,  intending  to  give  only  easy  and 
common  views  of  the  subject,  everything  appears  fresh 
before  us,  and  if  some  striking  ideas  arise,  their  novelty 
gives  them  three-fold  value,  and  we  imagine  that  we 
have  made  a great  speech.  All  this  constitutes  no  argu- 
ment against  diligent  preparation,  but  it  should  stimu- 
late us  to  bring  up  our  powers  of  expression  more  nearly 
to  the  level  of  our  conceptions. 

There  should  never  be  extreme  discouragement  over 
an  apparent  failure.  Some  good  end  may  be  reached 
even  by  a very  poor  speech.  One  evening  the  writer 
preached  when  weary  and  almost  unprepared.  From 
first  to  last  the  elfort  was  painful,  and  to  prevent  abso- 
lute failure  the  intended  plan  had  to  be  abandoned,  and 
detached  thoughts  from  any  source  thrown  in.  Yet 
that  discourse,  which  was  scarcely  worthy  of  the  name, 


AFTER  THE  SPEECH. 


elicited  warmer  approval  and  did  more  apparent  good 
than  any  one  preached  for  several  previous  months. 
One  or  two  fortunate  illustrations  redeemed  every  defect, 
so  far  as  the  audience  (but  not  the  speaker)  was  con- 
cerned. 

Whatever  judgment  we  may  entertain  of  our  own 
performances,  it  is  not  usually  wise  to  tell  our  hearers, 
or  to  ask  their  opinions.  Criticisms  spontaneously 
offered  need  not  be  repulsed,  but  all  seeking  for  commen- 
dation is  childish  or  disgusting.  It  is  sweet  to  hear 
our  efforts  praised,  and  most  of  men  can  bear  an  amount 
of  flattery  addressed  to  themselves  which  would  be  in- 
sufferable if  offered  to  others ; but  this  disposition,  if 
much  indulged,  becomes  ungovernable  and  exposes  us  to 
well-deserved  ridicule.  It  is  pitiable  to  see  a man  who 
has  been  uttering  wise  and  eloquent  words  afterward 
stooping  to  beg  crusts  of  indiscriminating  flattery  from 
his  hearers. 

Whenever  there  is  a probability  that  any  discourse 
will  be  repeated,  it  is  well  to  review  it  soon  after  de- 
livery, while  its  impression  is  still  fresh  upon  the  mind, 
and  if  any  defect  appears,  amend  it  in  the  plan,  and  add 
to  the  same  plan  all  the  valuable  ideas  that  have  been 
suggested  during  the  speech  or  afterward.  In  this 
manner  we  keep  each  discourse  up  to  the  high  water- 
mark of  our  ability. 

Some  orators  are  accustomed  to  write  their  speeches 


168 


AFTER  THE  SPEECH. 


out  in  full  after  delivery.  When  the  theme  is  important 
and  time  permits,  this  is  a good  exercise,  but  in  many — 
perhaps  the  majority  of  cases — the  labor  would  outweigh 
the  profit. 

No  such  objection  applies  to  reviewing  and  correcting 
a verbatim  report  of  our  speeches.  To  many  speakers 
such  a review  of  the  exact  words  they  have  uttered 
would  be  a striking  and  not  altogether  pleasing  revela- 
tion. Pet  phrases,  which  might  otherwise  be  unnoticed 
for  years ; faults  of  expression,  aind  especially  the  pro- 
fuseness of  words,  in  which  extemporaneous  speakers  are 
tempted  to  indulge would  all  be  forced  upon  our  notice. 
AVe  would  be  surprised  to  learn  that  we  could  often 
write  the  discourse  in  one-fourth  the  words  employed  in 
delivery.  To  form  the  habit  of  thus  condensing  our 
speeclies  after  delivery  would  have  a powerful  tend- 
ency toward  compacting  thought  in  speech  itself.  The 
only  hindrance  in  applying  this  capital  means  of  im- 
provement consists  in  the  difficulty  of  obtaining  such 
shorthand  reports.  AVliere  this  cannot  be  overcome  a 
part  of  the  advantage  may  be  gained  by  taking  the  plan 
and  from  it  writing  out  the  same  kind  of  a compact  pre- 
sentation of  the  thoughts  as  uttered.  This  differs  from 
writing  in  full  by  making  no  effort  to  record  exact 
words  or  forms  of  expression,  but  only  to  recall  from 
memory  and  from  the  sketch  the  exact  thoughts  that 
were  expressed  in  the  language  of  the  moment.  Even 


AFTER  THE  SPEECH. 


169 


jf  the  same  kind  of  brief  sketch  has  been  made  previous 
to  the  act  of  speech^  this  does  not  take  the  place  of  what 
we  now  recommend ; for  the  former  outline  may  have 
been  greatly  modified  by  the  experience  of  delivery. 

In  whatever  form  the  best  result  of  the  discourse  is 
recorded,  great  care  should  be  taken  in  its  preservation. 
The  plan,  sketch,  or  fully  written  discourse  may  be 
slipped'  into  an  envelope  (which  may  also  contain  all 
illustrative  scraps,  notes,  or  references  to  books  that  bear 
upon  the  discourse)  and  on  the  back  may  be  written  the 
title,  time,  and  character  of  delivery,  with  any  other  facts 
of  importance.  If  the  young  speaker  will  faithfully 
follow  up  such  a method  of  recording  the;*i%|^u3t3  of  hjs^ 
oratorical  experience,  he  will  find  dtoiiKcf’ the  best  forms; 
of  discipline,  and  the  record  itself-vParemlly  Tn^ 
frequently  reviewed,  and  kept  withifi  reaspn^  bulk-V, 
will  in  time  possess  a value  greater  than  g6ld.  ; >’  / 


FIKIB. 


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